Deception in the Dark
by Silvershadow1142
Summary: Silverstar's kits are warriors now and they are serving RiverClan well. But it seems that they have inherited their mother's destiny to fight and lead the battle for survival. One cat has a sinister plot to overthrow the thing all clans hold precious. The three siblings have to stop it, but this cat's identity shocks them. Will they be able to push aside their feelings? A Sequel.
1. Prologue

**Warning: This is a Sequel. It contains major spoilers so please read Silverkit's Struggle before reading this one. I know it isn't the best but I have gotten so much better.**

Prologue

Silverstar was sharing a trout with Reedpelt while they discussed the next day's patrols. It was almost Sunset and most of the clan had already retired for the night. "So Icefur will lead the hunting party and Wetfoot and Shadowfoot will lead the dawn patrols then?" her deputy asked her.

The she-cat nodded and meowed, "Yes, and Cloudfall and Sandclaw can lead the sunset patrols. I'll lead a hunting patrol tomorrow, too."

"Sounds good, Silverstar." Reedpelt swallowed his last mouthful and gave his fur quick lick. "Is there anything else?"

"Yes. Be sure to tell the hunting patrols to stay away from the gorge. I'm still getting reports of fresh dog scent."

"Yes. I'll let them know. Goodnight Silverstar." Her friend dipped his head to her and padded off to the warriors' den. The young leader stayed out in the clearing by herself; for some strange reason, she didn't feel tired at all. _Why do I feel something important is about to happen? _Whatever her feelings, she needed to return to the nursery. Even after kitting four moons ago, she still couldn't believe she was a mother and found herself missing her old den. The nursery didn't seem as comfortable.

But as always, when she saw her kits a smile lit up her face. They were curled up with Shinewhisker in her nest. Even though her single kit, Galepaw, had moved to the apprentice den almost four moons ago, Shinewhisker had stayed to help Silverstar with her kits when her duties as a leader complicated things. _I suppose I'll be forever grateful to her. _Oakstorm had been really helpful too.

Most fathers had left the caring of their kits to their mate. Oakstorm couldn't give them milk, but he spent all his free time with their litter. He washed, cared and played with his offspring and Silverstar was grateful of his understanding.

Her kits seemed to have inherited his understanding; they never complained about how often they saw Silverstar. _All my responsibilities have made what time we have all the more special. _Sliverstar left her kits with Shinewhisker and crawled into her nest without waking them. Sorting out patrols the day before meant they might possibly have more time together tomorrow and she didn't want to wake the young cats; they needed their sleep.

She tossed and turned all night and the sleep she managed to get came in quick snitches and were accompanied by nightmares. When the sun greeted her in the morning, she yawned and closed her eyes again. "Silverstar, Silverstar!" She opened her eyes to see her three young ones gazing at her happily and all her tired feelings evaporated.

They rushed to her side and the mother gave each of them a lick. "It's so wonderful to see you three. Have you been behaving yourselves?"

"Yes, yes of course!" Sootkit squeaked.

"Hey! What about that time you put fire ants in my pelt!" Birchkit meowed indignantly. Moonkit purred at her brothers and snuggled closer to her mother.

"I've been good. I have, ask Shinewhisker." She told Silverstar. The leader gave her daughter a lick and smiled at all her kits.

"Silverstar, come play with us! Please!" Sootkit begged.

"It'll be more fun with you, you hardly get to see us!"Moonkit added. Silverstar looked at her kits' hopeful faces and sighed. As much as she loved them, she still wasn't sure if it was the proper thing to do as a leader. Wouldn't the clan lose respect for her if she acted like a kit herself?

_Oakstorm plays with them, and Reedpelt played with Galepaw when he was younger. _"All right, lets's go!" She secretly longed to escape all the worries of leadership, especially if the time was spent with her kits.

With happy squeaks, the kits and their mother left the nursery. "Sootkit, Moonkit, there's some moss here! Let's play mossball."Birchkit purred. Mossball was their favorite game.

Birchkit started scraping the moss together and then lumped it into a ball. When he struggled, Silverstar rushed over to help.

"Here, little one." She pushed it over to him and he picked it up.

"You know, I could have done it myself. You just didn't give me enough time." The little brown tom muttered.

"Yes, I know." They had hardly started the game when all four cats were interrupted.

"Silverstar, Shadewhisper! Come quick!" It was Icefur. Shadewhisper bounded over immediately but Silverstar hesitated.

"Go ahead, we'll be fine." Moonkit told her mother, knowing she and her brothers were the reason she didn't rush off right away. Her brave mew didn't keep the sadness off her face and her expression was mirrored by her brothers.

"Thank you dears. I'm sorry." She followed after her sister and Icefur. The white she-cat led them through the forest to the very edge of the territory. "I'll be as quick as I can! Maybe we can play later!" She called over her shoulder.

"Is that yowling I hear?" Shadewhipser panted worriedly.

"Probably." Icefur answered, her blue eyes wide with panic.

"Has there been an attack? Perhaps that dog scent-" Silverstar wondered aloud.

"No, no. Nothing like that." Icefur cut her off. Silverstar looked as though she wanted to press for more information, but Icefur said merely, "We're almost there!"

The three she-cats picked up speed till they were all out sprinting. "There, There!" Icefur panted. Silverstar saw an unfamiliar cat lying on the ground. She appeared to be in a lot of pain. Her ginger and brown pelt might have been sleek but now it was matted and in need of a grooming. Her leaf green eyes were wild with panic and despair.

Shadewhisper was already at her side. Silverstar saw her sister's eyes widen in astonishment and surprise. "She's having kits!"

The rest of Icefur's hunting party had been sitting half circle around the expectant queen. Now, a couple of them got to their feet.

"Can we bring you anything?" Thrushwing inquired

"You don't have any herbs." Rosedrop added.

"She needs to try giving birth without medicine. Her kits would be better off." Shadewhipser told her clanmates. To the she-cat she said gently, "I'm Shadewhisper. I can help you with your kits."

The loner simply nodded. Shadewhisper placed one of her front paws on her large stomach. Her eyes closed in concentration.

A little ways off, a dark tabby and his allies stood watching the scene. If RiverClan had turned around, they wouldn't have been able to see him, but he was there all the same. They didn't hear him when he spoke to his comrades even though his voice was loud and commanding. "They are almost here. We will soon see if this cat has what it takes."

"We already have someone picked out and only one is needed for the job." A ginger and black tom told the dark tabby.

"No, no you fool!" His leader, the dark tabby, snarled. Still, none of the RiverClan cats took notice. "That cat will need one of these new kits if he is to finish the job. And if one of these kits should die, we have another recruit to join us. Remember we need more done than just this one job for our plan to be successful."

"The first one's a tom! Silverstar!" Shadewhisper's mew brought her leader front and center. "Lick his fur the wrong way so he can warm up." Her instructions given, Shadewhisper turned her attention back to the ailing queen. The leader licked the tiny tom. His golden pelt was wet and sticky, but under Silverstar's care he began to warm up.

"A she-cat!" The medicine cat mewed. Thrushwing stepped forward to warm the newest kit, whose pelt was as white as snow. Shadewhisper gave him the kit.

"This is the last one. Give one more push and you can rest. Come on, push!" Shadewhisper urged. The mother heaved and the last kit made his appearance. "Another tom!" Icefur warmed the last kit as Silverstar and Thrushwing placed the other two at their mother's belly.

"Oh thank you. Thank you all." Her mew was tired but gratitude and happiness shone through as bright as the sun. Her first two kits began suckling instantly. When Icefur finished with the third kit, gray fur shone sleekly. She laid him beside his littermates and he too started suckling.

"That little white she-cat could be just what we need for our chosen cat." The dark colored tabby tom observed. "She seems strong. We'll keep an eye on her."

After the mother and her new litter had some rest, she felt stronger and able to go on. "We'll take you back to camp. You can stay there till your kits are old enough to travel farther." Silverstar assured her.

"Thank you. My name is Sapphire. I'm sorry; I don't want to cause you any trouble." The loner mewed.

"It's no bother." Icefur told her.

"Didn't you realize you were close to kitting? Why aren't you in your den?" Shadewhisper asked curiously.

"This is my first litter and I've not had any experience with kits. I wouldn't have gone out if I had known."

The rest of the trip was quiet. Thrushwing, Silverstar, and Rosedrop carried the kits while Galepaw and Shadewhisper supported Sapphire. When they arrived at camp, the sight of a stranger with kits created a stir. The elders sat outside their den talking about it and the warriors blocked the way to the nursery, trying to get closer to the strange cat. _She looks scared out of her mind! Poor cat!_

"Hey, hey! Give us some room here! We have to get her to the nursery." Silverstar meowed to her clanmates.

The dark tabby had journeyed back with them, but he was alone now. His eyes glittered and he watched the white she-cat with interest. "She shall be an important aspect in my plan. Yes, Oh yes. The time has almost come."

**A/N: Oh how good it is to write with these characters again. And writing Silverstar's kits has been great too! I recently read over Silverkit's Struggle and was surprised. I remember being so proud of it and now I realize my style is so different now. So if this story doesn't sound like the first, I'm sorry. But it's been probably 9 or ten months since the first so it would be weird if I hadn't changed. Thank you all for reading and thanks to those that review. You mean the world to me.**

**Been thinking a lot if I should write this two shot idea in my head. It would be a canon story featuring Hawkfrost and a ThundeClan cat. Let me know what you think.**


	2. Shadow of the Day

Chapter 1

"Sootpaw, Moonpaw, let's go hunting!" Birchpaw meowed. He shook his littermates but they still did not open their eyes. The brown apprentice rolled his eyes. _How come I'm the only one in the family that likes to get up early?_

The young tom loved mornings. Everything was so clear and fresh. Birchpaw liked to watch the sun gradually dance higher and higher in the sky, and he liked to smell the new fragrances that had popped up overnight. Everything was just so new and fresh in the morning, having had the night to recover. _I'll just go by myself then. As always. _

Almost every morning, he went off by himself for some early hunting. During the two moons he had spent training so far, he had learned that the early mornings was the easiest time of day to hunt. Prey was slower, easier to catch. It was almost as though they were still groggy from sleeping all night.

"Hey! Hey wait, Birchpaw!"

The young tom turned around and was delighted to see his friend running after him. "Galepaw!"

"I'll come with you. It'll be one of my last hunts as an apprentice. My assessment's today!" The gray and white tom meowed happily.

"Already? Wow!" Birchpaw was pleased for his friend. Although he was five moons older, Galepaw was great friends with Birchpaw and his littermates. It was easy for them to forget they weren't littermates; the four cats were so close it was as if they shared the same thoughts and feelings.

"Let's go!" Galepaw mewed.

"I'll race you there!" Birchpaw challenged. The two toms ran out of camp and sprinted to the river.

"Beat ya!" Galepaw laughed and then gasped for air. Birchpaw didn't say anything as he struggled for air.

"I'll get you next time." Birchpaw said after a moment, but he didn't sound too into it. Without waiting for a reply, he sat himself on the banks of the river and waited patiently. Galepaw settled beside down beside him.

When they returned to camp, Galepaw had two fish and Birchpaw had a trout. They placed their prey on the pile and looked around for their mentors.

"There you are! Been hunting, huh?" Icepelt called to Galepaw as she walked over to the two toms. The gray and white cat nodded to his mentor. "The assessment will start as soon as you're ready then. Are you tired?"

"No, Icepelt. I'm ready. See ya Birchpaw." The eldest apprentice left camp again and this time, his mentor followed him.

"Good luck!" Birchpaw called but there was no response. Shrugging to himself, he glanced around trying to find his mentor.

Wetfoot emerged from the warriors' den at that moment with Graymist. "Ready to go? We'll be practicing battle tactics with Sootpaw and Graymist today."

"Sure am." Turning to his brother he added, "Come on sleepyhead!"

"Not everyone loves mornings." The smudgy gray-toned tom grumbled. The two young cats followed their mentors as they left camp and led the way to the training hollow.

"It's halfway to sunhigh! You can't possibly be tired!" Birchpaw exclaimed.

"Yes and you know I prefer to stay out late. I haven't gotten as much sleep as you have." Sootpaw reminded him.

"Oh, yeah. Right." Sootpaw loved the night as much as Birchpaw loved mornings.

The forest seemed to come alive at night. The stillness in the air made it easier to pick out prey scents and the darkness could be used as a cover; Birchpaw knew how good his brother could sneak around in the shadows. Sometimes he thought Sootpaw could have been born into ShadowClan. He had been going out to hunt at night as often as Birchpaw hunted in the morning; his eyes had adjusted so much he could see better in the dark than he did during the day.

"Alright you two. Enough talking. It's time to start." Wetfoot meowed.

"Today, we'll be working on using your instincts in battle. Knowing battle moves is good and you shouldn't fight without knowing some but instinct is far more important." Graymist said.

"Don't rely completely on battle moves. Try feeling along with what you're doing." Wetfoot added. "Battle moves can be too restrictive at times. If a move is not working, go ahead and change it so it does."

The brothers listened intently, soaking up the lesson like cobwebs soak up blood.

"Sootpaw, you have a lot of strength. I want you to attack Birchpaw like he's an enemy warrior. Birchpaw, use your cleverness to defend yourelf." Graymist instructed.

No sooner had the words left her mouth when Sootpaw threw himself on Birchpaw. Birchpaw jumped out of his way neatly, but Sootpaw had expected this. He flashed his legs out as he jumped so that his sheathed paws still struck a blow to his brother. Quick as lightning, Birchpaw grasped Sootpaw's feet gently but firmly in his mouth and threw him across the field. Sootpaw was not able to recover in time; Birchpaw pinned his legs to the ground, winning the brawl.

"Great job, Birchpaw but you could work on more offense. Once you have your opponent on the ground, you have the upper paw. Follow it up with some claw work." Graymist commented.

"And Sootpaw, you showed forethought when you tried to scratch him. Even if your battle moves miss, never pass up an opportunity to wound your enemy. But you need to work on your speed and getting past your enemy." Wetfoot mewed.

"Try again, and keep in mind what we've said." Graymist said.

They practiced a few more times. Both toms were showing rapid improvement and neither could gain the upper paw in a fight now; they had become evenly matched.

"You both have done well. We'd better get back before we miss Galepaw's ceremony." Wetfoot concluded the session.

"I don't want to miss it! We have to be there for him!" Sootpaw meowed.

"Come on we'd better hurry!" Birchpaw said. The two apprentices spun around and hurried back to camp. Their mentors looked at each other and purred before following more slowly.

In the end, it was a good thing they rused back to camp. Silverstar was standing on Mossrock, having already called out the summons to the clan. Reedpelt was sitting at the base of the rock, Galepaw and Icepelt on either side of him.

Sootpaw spotted Moonpaw and went to sit with her, Birchpaw following behind him quietly. Graymist and Wetfoot found places to sit next to Oakstrom and Sandclaw and then Silverstar spoke.

"I have called you all together so I can give Galepaw his warrior name. Icepelt tells me he had fine hunting for his assessment." Silverstar announced.

"He will be a warrior the clan can be proud of." The white she-cat meowed. Birchpaw could see Reedpelt and Shinewhisker gazing at their son. It was clear they were proud of him already by the expression in their eyes.

Silverstar hopped down from Mossrock and gathered the words to the age old ceremony. "I, Silverstar call upon our warrior ancestors to look down at this apprentice. He has trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code and I commend him to you as a warrior in his turn. Galepaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and defend the clan, even at the cost of your life?"

"I do." His voice was sure and steady, full of conviction.

"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. From this day forward you shall be known as Galestrike. StarClan honors your forethought and independence and we welcome you as a full warrior."

"Galestrike, Galestrike!" The clan chanted his new name and Birchpaw was caught up in the excitement. The new warrior glanced around his clanmates proudly. His purrs got louder when Birchpaw and his littermates came up to congratulate him personally.

"Great name, Galestrike!" Sootpaw said.

"Yeah it sounds really tough!" Birchpaw added. Moonpaw said nothing, but her eyes shone with excitement and pleasure and she rested her tail-tip on his shoulder briefly.

"We'll miss you in the den." Sootpaw meowed. "Maybe you'll finally get some sleep, what with Moonpaw's snoring and Birchpaw waking up at the crack of dawn." He added teasingly.

"Hey, I don't-" Moonpaw's protest was cut off when Galepaw laid his tail across her mouth.

"I'll miss you all too. So hurry up and learn what you've got to learn so you can join me!" That got all four of them laughing.

"We will." Moonpaw spoke for the first time. Her mew, so much like her mother's, was soft and laced with determination.

"Galestrike! Come celebrate with us!" Rosedrop, Shinewhisker and some of the toher warriors had already settled down to a feast. It was Icepelt who had called out to her former apprentice.

"Ok!" he responded. Turnong to his friends he asked, "Coming?"

"Yes. We wouldn't miss it for anything." Moonpaw meowed. She and her brothers followed Galestrike and settled down beside him to share prey and talk with their clanmates.

Galestrike, Sootpaw and his siblings stayed out late into the night, talking and laughing and sharing stories. When they started doing more yawing than talking, Moonpaw and Birchpaw headed for their nests. Sootpaw walked with Galestrike to the camp entrance. The new warrior sat down in front of it to sit in silent vigil for the night while Sootpaw went out to do some late night hunting.

"It was a good day. See you in the morning." He said in farewell to Galestrike before leaving. His friend nodded to him and waved his tail.

Sootpaw thought he had never seen such a wonderful night. _Galestrike will be a great warrior._

**A/N: Yay! Finally got to write with my new characters. It's like a breath of fresh air and I love it. Not much to say but that I have such major things in store and I'm going to work really hard to make this something worth reading. Thank you to all my readers and a bigger thank you to all my reviewers. If there's anything I can do to improve, please let me know!**

**I got a review from a guest on my prologue saying that I cannot use the name Moonpaw. I just wanted to say that since this is my story, I have the liberty of picking and using whatever names I want to. You don't have to read it if you don't like it. **


	3. Strong and Courageous Destiny

Chapter 2

"Galestrike. Wake up!" For a second, the new warrior thought it was Moonpaw's voice he was hearing. He rolled over and ignored her, like he always did the first time she tried waking him up.

"Galestrike, get up!" _That doesn't sound like Moonpaw. _Her voice was always soft and gentle and she was never harsh or demanding. This voice sounded…menacing. It was an authoritative voice, belonging to someone who was obviously in charge and used to be obeyed without question.

Stifling a sigh, he opened his amber eyes and found his paws. "What?" he grumbled. The gray and white warrior hated to be woken up like this and he didn't care how scary the voice sounded.

"I have something important to discuss with you." The voice went on, not sounding nearly as frightening as before. Galestrike felt his curiosity grow, his interest widening with every passing moment.

"What?" He hid his interest, his voice guarded. He had never seen this strange, dark tabby tom before. _What could he want with me?_

"I need to tell you something very important." His voice was breezy now, pleasantly easy to listen to.

"Oh? What's that?" _Like he knows anything! _Galestrike hardly believed him.

"Your destiny. You have a destiny unlike any cat that has ever walked the forest. Your destiny is going to change the fate of the whole clan. Of all the clans. You will become deputy. You will learn how to lead RiverClan and all the clans will be shocked at how much strength and courage you have. Even StarClan will be surprised after everything that happens." He purred.

Galestrike was bewildered._ Deputy? Learning to lead? _ He couldn't find words to describe how he was feeling. Only one word came to mind: What?

"You are confused." The tom spoke with conviction, his words a statement, not a question.

_You could say that again! _"Who are you?" Galestrike asked.

"I'm your clanmate. Before I died, I was a RiverClan warrior. My name's Nightheart."

_A StarClan cat! _Galestrike's head spun. "You have to help me then! How can I be all that? A deputy and leader? How can I have so much strength and courage?"

"You will find it within yourself. You won't need me." The dark tabby, Nightheart apparently, started to walk into the distance.

"Wait, please!" Nightheart paused and turned around, much to Galestrike's relief. "You have to help me. Please! I can't do this alone." Galestrike meowed desperately. _Alone._ The word echoed in the gray and white warrior's mind. _I've never been alone. I've always had Sootpaw, Moonpaw and Birchpaw with me. They've always been with me._

"Very well. I shall take you in and train you and help you as much as I can." Nightheart consented.

"What about…" Galestrike's voice faded.

"What about Moonpaw, Birchpaw and Sootpaw?" Nightheart meowed smoothly, already knowing that the three littermates were on the new warrior's mind. The gray and white tom stared at him, surprised. Nightheart spoke before he could ask. "They will be surprised at the things you will accomplish. They don't know, you don't know, how powerful you will become. With your destiny and maybe some of my help."

"They won't get hurt, will they?" Galestrike asked anxiously.

"Nothing you can't prevent." Nightheart promised.

"Thank you!" Galestrike was relieved to hear that.

"I must go now. Your clanmates are calling for you."

"When will I see you again?"

"Tomorrow night. Every night." Nightheart assured him. Suddenly, his dark tabby pelt started to fade and he could barely hear what Nightheart was saying. _What's going on?! _The new warrior was almost choking on his panic.

"Galestrike, c'mon it's dawn." With a start, Galestrike opened his eyes to see his former mentor standing over him.

"Sorry Icepelt." He shook himself followed the white she-cat out of the den.

Along the way, she scolded him. "You've been a warrior for a moon now. You should be more responsible. No cat should have to drag you out of your nest so you can serve the clan."

"Sorry." He repeated then added, "I'll work on it." _It's not like I can say it won't happen again, if what Nightheart says is true. _

"Do that, mouse-brain." But her tone was gentler now and she blinked warmly at him as she left to go hunting. The tom was left standing alone in the clearing. He swept his eyes around camp, hoping to spot one of his friends, but there was no sign of them. _They must be out training with their mentors or something._

He headed over to Silverstar. "Yes, is there something you wanted to speak to me about?" She asked.

Galestrike shook his head. "No, I was just wondering if there was anything you needed done. I was about to go hunting but I figured I should ask before I left."

"That's thoughtful of you, but no. Thanks."

"Ok. Bye." Galestrike nodded respectfully.

"Have a good hunt." She called as he headed for the camp entrance. Almost in the same heartbeat, Moonpaw came running through.

"Silverstar! ThunderClan's at Sunningrocks! Cloudfall sent me to get help!"

Instantly, the RiverClan leader was on her paws. "Rosedrop, Sandclaw, Oakstorm!" The three warriors came running. "Who else is with Cloudfall?"

"Wetfoot and Nightfur."

The leader nodded, satisfied. "Stay here." She told her daughter before turning to Galestrike. "Will you get Icepelt and join us?" Without waiting for an answer, she and the three warriors raced for the border. Galestrike quickly picked up Icepelt's scent trail and found her fishing at the gorge.

"Come quick! Silverstar's leading a counterattack on ThunderClan. They were found on Sunningrocks!"

Icepelt abandoned her prey and ran with the gray and white warrior to the battle. Immediately, both cats sprang into action. Icepelt launched herself at Shortcloud and wrestled him to the ground. Galestrike jumped on Grassfern and pulled her off Sandclaw. The ThunderClan she-cat hissed at him angrily and swept her paw at his face.

Galestrike ducked and bowled her over, knocking the wind out of the smaller cat. Galestrike swept his claws down her stomach and Grassfern cried out in pain. She shifted out of his grasp and disappeared into the thick of the battle.

Galestrike let out a gasp when another cat was slammed into his side. Instinctively he growled and raised his paws to attack. "Sorry! Galestrike, it's me, Wetfoot." Recongition flew into the young warrior's eyes and he lowered his paws. With a nod to his clanmate, Wetfoot leaped into battle again.

Galestrike saw Silverstar locked in combat with the ThunderClan deputy. Redclaw had her pinned down, but Galestrike watched his leader bite into the deputy's shoulder and throw him off. _Impressive. She's strong; no wonder she's great leader. _

_ThunderClan is putting up a good fight. _Growling, Galestrike launched himself at Smokefur and knocked him off his paws. The ThunderClan tom hissed and spat, trying to free himself from Galestrike's grip. It was in vain; the RiverClan warrior had his claws dug into the ground deep, allowing no escape.

"Retreat! ThunderClan, retreat!" Redclaws yowled. The forest hunters broke away from the swimmers, hissing threats. RiverClan gave chase, sending them back into their own territory with warning bites.

"Sandclaw, Oakstorm, Cloudfall, Wetfoot, will you remark the correct border please?" Silverstar asked, mentioning the cats who had been spared serious injuries. The warriors nodded their agreement.

The rest of the patrol headed back to camp. Shadewhisper was waiting for their arrival; next to her was a stack of ready to use herbs. As Galestrike waited to be treated, his three friends padded up to him.

"What was it like?"

"Was it scary?"

"What was your best battle move?"

All three were talking at the same time, their pent up energy turning into excitement. Galestrike let out a purr of amusement and waited for them to calm down before even attempting to answer their questions.

"It was…serious but not scary. It felt good to be defending the clan, helping them." He finally meowed.

"I wish we could have gone!" Sootpaw exclaimed.

"Yeah, as soon as our mentors realized what happened, they sent us home. I really wanted to fight! I can do it; We can do it. We just need a chance. Birchpaw meowed.

"But we have to obey Silverstar. She is our leader as well as our mother. She knows what's best for us and the clan." Moonpaw mewed sensibly.

"Don't worry guys, there will be plenty of battle to come and it won't be long till you can fight in them. For now, learn what you need to know and learn it well." Galestrike said, attempting to cheer them up.

"Galestrike, do you want to bleed to death? Come here and let me have a look at you." Shadewhisper called. With a nod to his friends, the gray and white warrior padded over to the medicine cat to have his wounds seen to.

"Moonpaw, do you mind going out to the river and bring back the fish I caught? I left it there when the battle started." Icepelt asked, coming up to the three apprentices.

"No, of course not. I'll be back soon." She bounded toward the forest.

"Keeps your eyes open!" The snow white warrior called.

After Shadewhisper had put marigold and cobwebs on his wounds, she told Galestrike, "I want to take a look at these scratches every day till they heal, ok? Relax for the rest of the day. No duities till tomorrow."

"Thank you." The tom dipped his head respectfully and made his way back to his nest in the warriors den. He would sleep for a while, and then share prey and talk with his friends.

_It's been a good day. We showed those mouse-hearts we won't be messed with!_

**A/N: Yay it's done! Sorry this took so long. I have the story planned out but sometimes it's hard to find the right words to write. And I want to make sure what I put out there for you guys is the best I can make it. And it may be a few days until the next update since I'll be going on vacation Saturday. But I won't give up! Thank you so much for reading. It would mean everything to me if you reviewed. I want to know what you guys think.**


	4. Heroic and Noble Destiny

chapter 3

Birchpaw had never been so excited. He followed his brother and sister through the forest and to the river. Stepping beside his littermates and his clanmates, he tasted the air with anticipation.

"Like you can smell the other clans from here!" Sootpaw teased him.

"He'd better not. This is our territory," Galestrike meowed. Naturally, he had been beside them the whole time, like always. Moonpaw rolled her eyes as her brothers bickered good naturedly with their friend.

"Of course we're excited, Galestrike. Our first Gathering was three moons ago and we haven't been to one since then." Moonpaw interrupted the argument. "C'mon. It's our turn to cross the river."

The three siblings waited while Galestrike jumped in before Birchpaw followed him. He was a natural leader among the three of them and it was always him who led his littermates or was the first to do things. Sootpaw guessed that was because his brother had been born first. Sootpaw splashed in behind Birchpaw and Moonpaw dived gracefully after both her brothers.

RiverClan hurried through the shelter of the branches to reach Fourtrees. The other three clans were there already, so they slipped in quickly and found places to sit. There wouldn't be any time to share tongues or news before the formal part of the meeting began but Moonpaw could see some of her friends already, sitting with their clanmates.

Honeystar yowled for silence and then she meowed, "All four clans, welcome to another moonlit Gathering. I shall begin first with ThunderClan's report. Ratpaw and Littlepaw and Talonpaw have received their apprentice names." Before she could finish, cats were already yowling their approval and congratulations. Birchpaw looked behind so he could see two of the new apprentices, sitting up straightly and proudly beside their mentors, a gray tom and a brown she-cat.

"Talonpaw has chosen to become a Medicine cat apprentice."Honeystar added.

When Birchpaw turned around, he could see the newly apprenticed Talonpaw. _Such arrogance!_The brown and black ThunderClan cat was sitting beside Bluedrop with his chest puffed out and his eyes narrowed. Satisfaction warmed Birchpaw's pelt as he watched Bluedrop lean over and whisper something to Talonpaw. The new apprentice's eyes lowered and he slouched down.

"Skyleaf is expecting kits and Tawnyear has moved in with the elders." The ThunderClan leader finished. Skyleaf's eyes shone with happiness as she sat beside a gray tom with fresh scars. He leaned over to give her a quick, fond lick on the top of her head.

ShadowClan's leader stepped forward to speak. "We are thriving this moon. Prey has been bountiful and we are thankful to StarClan for their generosity. Snowpath and Hazelfur are also expecting kits and Gladepelt led the patrol that chased off a fox. It headed toward the mountains, away from any clan territory." Mudstar mewed. Gladepelt sat up proudly when his name was mentioned and the two ShadowClan queen exchanged looks of delight.

He nodded to Heatherstar who blinked at him before standing up. She took the few steps that brought her to the edge of the Great Rock before speaking. "Flamestripe and Dapplepelt have been lost to Greencough and we mourn them. Nightfur also succumbed to the sickness just a quarter moon ago and Bramblestripe has been made deputy in her place. And we too have chased a fox off our land." Meows of sympathy and congratulations swept through Fourtrees before Silverstar could speak.

"RiverClan has a new warrior, Galestrike!" Cheers shattered the melancholy mood, the loudest coming from Moonpaw and her brothers. "A ThunderClan patrol was found on our land, but with our strength and skills, we chased them off, rather easily."

Silverstar paused for a moment, glaring at Honeystar before she finished her report. Honeystar returned the look and aggression subtly rippled through the ThunderClan and RiverClan cats. Birchpaw still had regret for having to sit out of the battle like a troublesome kit._There will be others, I suppose._

"And just tonight, Sapphire has told me she wishes to become a member of RiverClan. She will now be known as Duskflower."

Sootpaw was happy to hear this. The ginger and brown queen had always been so kind and friendly, and her kits had been fun to play with before he left the nursery. There were some remarks about a rogue joining a Clan, but it died down quickly and the smudgy apprentice was able to relax.

Now that there was time to talk, he and his siblings left to find their friends. "Sootpaw! Moonpaw, Birchpaw!"The RiverClan cats turned at the sound of their names and were happy to see Lightpaw and Darkpaw racing over to them. It had been Darkpaw who called out. "Hey! How's the prey running?"

"Fine. Is all well in WindClan?" Sootpaw returned the greeting.

"Yes, yes." Lightpaw meowed.

"Is Eaglepaw ok?" Birchpaw asked.

Darkpaw exchanged a look with his sister before he said cautiously, "Yes. Just a bit…tired."

"We'll tell him you were asking about him" Lightpaw added carefully, seeming to choose each word before saying it.

Moonpaw asked, "You're getting your warrior names soon right?"

Lightpaw and Darkpaw were moons older than the average apprentices and Birchpaw could hardly remember all the stories of them acting up when they were newly apprenticed. Eaglepaw had gone with them and helped them with their mischief even though he wasn't related.

"Good luck!" Sootpaw said encouragely and the two WindClan cats thanked him.

"We can't wait to hear what your warrior names will be." Birchpaw added, and Moonpaw nodded.

"Maybe then you"ll finally be able to beat me in a fight." Sootpaw said, hoping to lighten the mood.

"Possibly." Lightpaw said, no expression in her voice. The two cats didn't appear to even be listening. _They were fine until we mentioned Eaglepaw. What's with them?_Sootpaw was disappointed and worried about his friends.

"RiverClan!"

"That's Silverstar!" Moonpaw exclaimed. Birchpaw shot off and Sootpaw raced after him. Moonpaw bid a hasty goodbye to their WindClan friends and ran after her brothers.

Birchpaw didn't sleep too well that night. He tossed and turned, and just when it seemed he might fall asleep, Sootpaw startled him with his sleep-talking. _What's the point of trying to sleep anymore?_

"Birchpaw, Birchpaw." _Now what!?_He opened his eyes to a white cat with ginger splashes on her back.

"Who are you?" His curiosity swept his annoyance away.

"My name's Ferntail. I'm your mother's-"

"Sister! She told us about you, and Mosskit. Woah." Birchpaw paused to take a breath and look around. For the first time he realized he was not in RiverClan's camp. This forest was much lusher and greener and there was a certain sheen to it that made it very beautiful.

"Is this StarClan?" the young apprentice asked.

"Why, yes of course my dear." Ferntail blinked warmly at her sister's kit. "I have an important task to do tonight. I must pass along these words to you."

"I'm listening, Ferntail."

"D_eception within the Heart, Strength from the Muscles, Will set the Body Right. Follow the Path, Fight the Heart, Save the Stars."_Ferntail's voice had grown from warm and sincere, to awe and fear. She seemed to look at Birchpaw with a new light in her eyes, with new respect.

"What does that mean? Whose heart? And what path?" Birchpaw hadn't expected to hear any of this. He was so confused. Rapidly, confusion turned to panic. "Please you have to tell me more!"

"I can't. I can't tell you anything else, not now. But don't be afraid. Mosskit and I will always be looking out for you and your littermates. Silverstar will not lose any of you." Birchpaw remembered hearing that his mother had lost Ferntail and Mosskit before she was given her warrior name. "Good-bye now."

Ferntail voice faded until it was an echo and then it was gone. Her body grew paler and paler until it too had vanished. The forest swirled around him and suddenly he was back in his nest, Moonpaw looming over him.

"You're usually the first one up, even before Dawn. Are you all right?" Concern lined her tone.

"Erm.. fine." Birchpaw could not bring himself to tell his sister what had happened. At least not yet. He felt he should tell his littermates together and Sootpaw was still sleeping. "Wake Sootpaw and meet me out by the river."

"What? Why?" Moonpaw asked startled, but Birchpaw was already on his way.

"Just do it, it's important." He called over his shoulder. Birchpaw made an excuse to Reedpelt, who looked at him questionably and ran through the forest till he got to the river.

Impatiently, he paced up and down on the bank, too keyed up to sit still. When his family finally came in sight, he let out a huff.

"Finally! Thought you'd never show up!" Birchpaw called.

Sootpaw and Moonpaw came to sit down in front of him. Moonpaw waved her tail, inviting him to sit beside them, but Birchpaw just shook his head and launched right into a detailed description of his dream encounter with Ferntail.

"And then she gave me this…this…prophecy I guess is what it is." Birchpaw meowed and then repeated it for his littermates.

"_Deception within the Heart, Strength from the Muscles, Will set the Body Right. Follow the Path, Fight the Heart, Save the Stars."_

**A/N: There, I finally updated. I'm sorry it took a while, I wish it was up sooner. But it's done and that's what counts. I hope you guys like it more than I do and thank you very, very, very much to all my reviewers. You guys are amazing!**


	5. All kinds of Love

Chapter 4

"It is time. Six moons have passed and those kits will be apprenticed today. Everything is going according to the plan perfectly." The dark tabby tom spoke with a wicked look in his dark eyes.

"How can you be sure Silverstar will give one of those new apprentices to our chosen cat?" a black she-cat with gray spots questioned.

"She will see his bravery and his strength. She will choose him." The tom growled.

"And how do you know she'll give him the right kit? The white she-cat is the strongest of all three of them. If our plan is to work, he will need the best possible choice for an apprentice."

"She will." The dark tom was growing tired of arguing and tired of waiting. His patience would pay off eventually though. Soon everything he desired would be his.

"There are too many things that could go wrong! Don't you want this to work?" The she-cat cat snapped at him, finally getting his attention.

"Don't talk to me like that! This will work, it has to!" His eyes flashed and his voice grew menacing. He raised his paws so she could see him unsheathing his claws.

She wasn't fazed. "Just because it has to doesn't mean it will. Go out there and make sure it happens!" She commanded him fiercely. The black and gray she-cat wanted this even more than he did. She had been the one to seek him out and come up with the original plan. The dark tabby tom seemed strong willed and determined, so she put him in charge and made sure all her cats knew it.

"You're right, I'm being stupid." He growled before turning away running quickly down the slope. That she-cat was the only one who could boss him around without getting hurt badly, but there wasn't a cat out there that could make him apologize.

"Good, everything will be ready then." She said, even though no cat was around to hear. "Once I get him to do my dirty work, I'll step in and seize his power for myself. I shall kill him and then no cat will know I was ever involved."

…

"Vinepaw, your mentor shall be Shadewhisper. She is a remarkable medicine cat who has cared for us with compassion and intelligence. May she pass down these traits to you throughout your apprenticeship." Silverstar meowed.

Newly named Vinepaw stepped forward to receive Shadewhisper's greeting. He sat next to his new mentor and eagerly watched his brother and sister go through their ceremonies.

"Rosedrop! You will mentor Flarepaw. Reedpelt taught you wisdom and strength and I hope you will pass that along to your new apprentice." Silverstar announced. Flarepaw bounded out of the crowd to Rosedrop's side and stretched his head up so he could dab her nose.

Birchpaw tried to keep from laughing. Something about Flarepaw's clumsy enthusiasm reminded him of Sootpaw when they had receive their apprentice names. He couldn't stifle a chuckle and Moonpaw nudged him.

"What's with you?" She whispered. Her brother just shook his head and tried to keep a straight face. _Toms!_ She thought with exasperation. Her bad mood evaporated when her mother called Galestrike forward.

Sootpaw sat up, excited. Most ceremonies bored him with their endless repetition, but now this one meant something to him. His best friend was going to be a mentor!

Silverstar beckoned to Whitekit. The she-cat walked maturely up to her leader and held her gaze solemnly. "I place Whitepaw in your care. You have been a warrior for only three moons, but the whole clan has seen your dedication and courage. Pass along these qualities to Whitepaw." Galestrike leaned down to touch his nose to hers and silently they melted back into the crowd.

The clan let out loud cheers of approval. Despite not being clanborn, the three cats and their mother had settled in nicely and were well-liked. Flarepaw and Whitepaw were already clambering their mentors with questions. Galestrike meowed something to Whitepaw, who nodded, before he headed over to his friends.

"Can't talk long. Whitepaw and Flarepaw are itching to go and I promise Rosedrop we would train together. Thought it might be easier, since we're bothing doing this for the first time." Galestike meowed.

"Congratulations!" Moonpaw exclaimed. "You never told us Silverstar chose you. It was quite the surprise!"

"We know you'll do a great job!" Birchpaw meowed. He rested his tail on the new mentor's shoulder.

"You're the best choice." Sootpaw added.

Galestrike was touched. His friends meant so much to him; he could hardly imagine life without them. "Thank you."

"Galestike, come on!" Rosedrop called. "Flarepaw and Whitepaw won't wait much longer!" Galestrike nodded to his friends and crossed the clearing rapidly. Rosedrop said something else to him before all four cats headed out.

"Come on guys. It's time for your training too." Wetfoot meowed. He called to Graymist and Cloudfall, Sootpaw and Moonpaw's mentors, and they all started for the camp entrance. Reedpelt, who had been assigning patrols, noticed and hurried after them.

The six cats turned when he called out to them. "Silverstar and I think it's time these three had their first assessment."

Sootpaw, Moonpaw and Birchpaw all started talking at once about how eager they were.

"I can't believe it! Already?" Sootpaw meowed.

"This is unbelievable!" Birchpaw exclaimed.

"Which is why I said I can't believe it!" Sootpaw said with a glance toward his brother.

"I hope we'll make you proud. We're so excited!" Moonpaw mewed.

Reedpelt and their mentors purred in amusement. "Ready to go?" Graymist asked. As the most experienced warrior, it was natural for her to lead the assessment.

"Of course!" Birchpaw meowed,speaking for his littermates as much as himself. Reedpelt wished them luck and returned to the rest of the clan.

"It's a fishing assignment. You are to catch as many as you can, and to the best of your ability. It isn't a competition, but it is a solo task." Graymist explained as they paced to the river.

"You can't help one another and we can't help you." Cloudfall put in.

"And we'll be watching, though of course you will not see us." Wetfoot added.

Sootpaw moved to sit downstream and Birchpaw followed. Wetfoot and Graymist immediately found trees to hide in close to banks of the river. Wetfoot climbed gracefully into a tall slender willow tree and Graymist hauled herself into a beech tree.

Cloudfall had to hide in the shadows of an elder bush, since Moonpaw prefer to hunt upstream. With her white fur, she didn't disappear quite as easily and Moonpaw could still see her from her vantage point. However, the apprentice focused on her task, getting so absorbed in it she forgot all about her mentor.

The sun was trailing behind the mountains by the time the assessment was over. The three apprentices were sitting in camp with Galestrike, discussing their catches.

"I got two carp and a trout! Biggest trout you'll ever see too!" Birchpaw boasted.

"Mine was bigger!" Sootpaw protested.

"Yeah right." Birchpaw sighed.

"You're just jealous." His brother countered.

"How long will they argue?" Galestrike asked Moonpaw good naturedly.

"Till one of them suggests comparing them side by side." she said, shaking her head. Her brothers were always doing things like this and it always amused her. The three of them had a special bond like no littermates had ever had before. She couldn't imagine loving them more.

"What did you catch?" Galestrike asked his eyes warm with his affection for her and her brothers.

"Two pike and two trouts." Moonpaw answered him shyly. She was always embarrassed to talk about herself or how well she had done something.

"Wow, pike? Those are hard." He said admirably.

"Thanks." Humble as she was, Moonpaw would always be polite.

"How you guys doing?" Oakstorm asked as he passed by.

"Fine, thanks. Hear about our assessment?" Moonpaw told her father.

"Yes, all three of you did very well. Silverstar and I are proud of you." Almost as though his words had called her, the beautiful leader strode toward them.

"I think I'm going to get some extra sleep." Galestrike said.

"The sun only just set." Sootpaw complained.

"Whitepaw wore me out. Sorry. I'll see you tomorrow."

"I'm going to my nest now too. Splashspot kept me up last night with all his snoring." Oakstorm meowed. Everyone purred with amusement.

"Good night." Birchpaw meowed. The gray and white tom nodded to Silverstar, who had just arrived, and headed for his nest. Oakstorm gave his mate a lick on her ears and she blinked at him fondly.

"I wanted you to know how please I am with your assessments. As your mother and your leader. I'm very proud." Silverstar meowed, nuzzling her kits. She stilled babied them and they let her. All of them were disappointed they couldn't have had more time with her when they were kits. "You'll make fine warriors. I pray nothing happens to you all before that happens."

Birchpaw exchanged glances with his siblings. They had yet to tell her of Ferntail's visit because they will still trying to work out what her prophecy meant.

Sootpaw knew his mother was remembering how her Ferntail and Mosskit had died before they received their warrior names. Whether or not they were ready to tell her about the prophecy, surely they could tell Silverstar Ferntail promised to protect them.

"Ferntail came to Birchpaw in a dream a moon ago. She knew how worried you always are about us and said she would always protect us and watch over us, like we were her own." Moonpaw meowed.

Silverstar looked at her daughter for a moment as though she couldn't believe what she heard. But then she blinked and happiness pooled in her eyes. "Thank StarClan. I don't think I could go on if I lost any of you."

**A/N: Yeah it's mushy and probably not the best place to stop but I couldn't think of anything else. Your average chapter, but hints at what's to come. I'm looking forward to the next couple of chapters. Things will get more intense. **

**I really don't want to be one of those people who refuse to post until they get more reviews but the lack of them is discouraging. It would really mean a lot to me if people could spare a moment to write a few words, good or bad.**


	6. Going Down with a Fight

Chapter 5

Sootpaw was in his element. This was his favorite time, his favorite thing to do. He allowed himself a purr of satisfaction before crouching down. He checked the wind, assuring that was blowing toward him. The RiverClan apprentice waited another moment and then pounced.

The water vole had no idea it was prey till it was too late. Sootpaw sat up, the plump bird in his mouth. The usual shadows that accompanied the night were absent, the moon casting a bright glow over the land.

He carried the fresh-kill over to a large oak tree and buried it beneath the twisted roots. Deciding he'd be better off hunting fish than land prey, he set off for the river. He glanced up as the clouds covered the moon. Shadows leaped out now and Sootpaw relished in them, instantly feeling more comfortable. He wore the night like a second pelt.

The river was all but invisible with black water rushing along the bank. Sootpaw could see it easily however, his eyes seeing better in the dark than any of his clanmates could. Sootpaw positioned himself on the bank and waited patiently.

It wasn't long till he could see the gleaming scales of a pike shining through the river. Sootpaw was quick to sink his claws into it and thrust it out of the river. His claws still piercing the prey, he sunk his teeth into its spine, killing it.

"Wow, that was great!" Sootpaw turned, surprised and on edge when he heard the strange voice.

Narrowing his eyes, he asked, "Who are you?"

"I'm Ratpaw, apprentice warrior of ThunderClan. And yourself?" The cheeky tom answered.

"Sootpaw. RiverClan, but maybe you could have figured that out from my catch." Sootpaw told him sheepishly.

"Welll Sootpaw. You seem to be a natural out here. Doesn't the night throw you off?" Ratpaw asked.

"No. The opposite actually. I'm better among the darkness than during the day." Sootpaw meowed proudly.

"How'd that happen?" Ratpaw wondered curiously.

"I'm not sure exactly. One night I went out hunting late, later than normal. And I had good luck so I went out again the next night." Sootpaw explained. "Birchpaw and Moonpaw tease me all the time, saying I should have been born to ShadowClan."

"Moonpaw and Birchpaw?" Ratpaw meowed.

"My siblings. They're my best friends." Sootpaw couldn't find the words to explain their bond. It was more than friendship. But Ratpaw didn't need to know everything.

"I have littermates too. Talonpaw and Littlepaw. They're really cool. Talonpaw's gonna be a medicine cat." The admiration in the ThunderClan cat's voice was quite evident.

"That's cool." Sootpaw felt he should say something complementary about that, since it seemed to be a big deal to Ratpaw, but the idea of being a medicine cat didn't thrill him.

"I wanted to be a medicine cat. But Bluedrop said my strength would be better suited for a warrior and Talonpaw has more patience than me." Sootpaw could plainly hear the jealousy in Ratpaw's voice.

"I'm sure you'll be a great warrior. Bluedrop was doing what was best for the clan when she picked your brother, don't take it personally." Sootpaw said, trying to cheer up the dejected-looking apprentice.

"I never thought of it like that! Thanks." His yellow eyes shined like two little moons.

"What are you doing out this time of night?" Sootpaw asked, dodging the gratitude. He wasn't comfortable being thanked. It embarrassed him for some reason.

"Couldn't sleep. And Bluedrop's running out of chervil roots, so I thought I could gather some for her. But I've been so busy, this is my first chance to." Ratpaw meowed.

"Ratpaw! Come on! You'll be too tired to train in the morning!" a voice called.

"Coming!" Ratpaw yelled over his shoulder.

"That's Grassfern, my mentor. She always treated me like a kit but I let her. I heard she had her own litter of kits when just after she made a warrior. But she was too young and the birth was premature. Her kits died within the moon and she was heartbroken." Ratpaw told Sootpaw.

"That's awful. That poor cat." Sootpaw could totally relate to Grassfern. He would always remember the day Oakstorm told him and his siblings about Silverstar's upbringing and her sisters.

"It was great meeting you. Your littermates and friends are lucky to have you in their lives." Ratpaw mewed.

"Consider yourself one of them." Sootpaw said.

"Thanks! Better be going." The ThunderClan tom tossed the words over his shoulder as he picked the chervil root and scurried back to camp. Sootpaw retraced his steps to the river to gather up his prey. The journey home was quiet and uneventful. Upon reaching camp, he found he was home much earlier than usual. Depositing the prey on the pile, he fought to keep from yawning.

"Wake up, wake up!" it seemed he was only asleep for mere seconds before he opened his eyes to see Birchpaw standing over him.

"Honeystar and her warriors are at it again. Silverstar needs us at Sunningrocks!" His brother meowed urgently. He helped Sootpaw to his feet and the two toms headed for the battlefield.

The sun shone brightly over the land, too brightly. Sootpaw had to strain his eyes to see anything and he found himself tripping over roots and prey holes more than once. Each time, Birchpaw helped him regain his balance, nosing him to his paws.

Sunningrocks was a sight. Cats were tearing each other apart. Silverstar was challenging Honeystar, Reedpelt was grappling with Stonefang, Wetfoot was pinning Sweetbriair down. Sootpaw choked when he saw Moonpaw. Without thinking, he sounded a wordless yowl and charged at her attacker.

He wrestled the cat to the ground, finally identifying the ThunderClan warrior as Birdsong. She might have looked sweet and gentle but she was anything but. Her pretty pelt hid seasoned muscles and she fought like the seasoned warrior she was. She threw the apprentice off with ease and strength, and then launched herself at him, clawing and biting.

Moonpaw could see what might happen. She jumped onto Birdsong and scored her claws down the warrior's flank and jumped away before her opponent could retaliate. Sootpaw could feel the Birdsong's grip loosened and used that advantage to free himself. Together he and Moonpaw worked as team to drive away the enemy she-cat. Only now could Sootpaw be glad he didn't fight in the previous ThunderClan battle. After training for almost five moons, he found it hard and scary.

Birchpaw was holding his own against Shortcloud. Having not been a warrior for long, the ThunderClan cat lacked experience and judgment. Birchpaw had him pinned down easily and proceeded to run his claws over the tom's ears. Shortcloud let out a yelp of pain and struggled to free himself.

"Silverstar!" Hearing his father's cry, Birchpaw lost his focus and Shortcloud got away. With Sootpaw and Moonpaw at his side, he ran up to see what caused his father's distress.

Silverstar lay on the ground, unmoving. Birchpaw searched anxiously for any signs of life but there was none. He couldn't see the rise and fall of her chest that indicated her breathing. "Silverstar…" he whimpered.

"Silverstar! Mother, no! You have to be ok!" Sootpaw begged, staring down at her.

Oakstorm looked at Honeystar with so much hatred and despise Sootpaw could barely recognize him. With a roar of pure fury and heartache, he bowled over the Thunderclan leader and mercilessly hooked his claws into her throat.

"Oakstorm, no!" To everyone's surprise Moonpaw jumped on her father and wrenched his claws out of Honeystar's neck. "That won't change anything!" Oakstorm looked at his daughter fiercely but seeing the expression in Moonpaw's eyes softened him. "It won't help Silverstar." She said, more gently, softer than before.

Honeystar picked herself up off the ground and called for her warriors. With a last glance, they filed away silently. Sootpaw saw Ratpaw give him an apoplectic glance and the smudgy tom nodded in response.

Birchpaw pulled his mother on Oakstorm's shoulder so he could carry her home. Reedpelt finished assessing his clanmates for any major injuries. Shadowfoot had large scratch on his back that poured blood and Sandclaw's hind paw had been twisted, but the rest of the clan had been spare of serious injuries.

Oakstorm carried his mate home, as carefully as he could. Moonpaw had run ahead to let Shadewhisper and Vinepaw know. With Reedpelt on his left and his sons on his right, he carried her into camp and settled her in the clearing. Shadewhisper was there with Moonpaw.

"Vinepaw's getting supplies. What happened?" The medicine cat inquired.

"Honeystar. She grabbed Silverstar and yanked her to the ground and kept clawing her." Oakstorm answered. Though he spoke to Shadewhisper, his eyes never left Silverstar.

The rest of the clan huddled around their leader as Shadewhisper took the herbs from Vinepaw and saw to her sister's wounds.

"Go fix Sandclaw and Shadowfoot's injuries first please. Then see to the rest of the clan. I'll be there to help you as soon as I can." Shadewhisper asked her apprentice. Vinepaw nodded silently and went to work. He covered Shadow's scratch with marigold and cobwebs and binded Sandclaw's paw with chickweed and rushes.

"She lost a life and a lot of blood, but she should be ok." Shadewhisper reported after a long silence. Moonpaw snuggled close to her mother, feeling like a kit again.

**A/N: I didn't want it to end here with all this sadness and stuff but I couldn't find anything else to write. This story seems to be flying by and it already feels like it's half over even though it still has a long way to go. Thing will pick up from here and all, if not most, of the chapters will be the main storyline and not fillers. Thank you very much for reading and please leave a review. I'm getting somewhat desperate…**


	7. Varying Degrees of Awful

Chapter 6

"Whitepaw, Flarepaw, will you tend to the elders? Change their bedding and check them for ticks. And get them some fresh kill?" Reedpelt asked. The young apprentices nodded and left camp to gather fresh moss.

"Cloudfall, Graymist and Wetfoot, take your apprentices to patrol the Gorge border please." The warriors nodded their assent and called for their apprentices.

Sootpaw was sleeping and Birchpaw was just getting back from his morning hunt. Moonpaw had been trying to talk to Galestrike. The gray and white warrior had been getting more and more hostile within the past moon, snapping at her and her littermates when they tried talking to them. Moonpaw was worried about him.

Quickly, Birchpaw roused Sootpaw and the three siblings left with their mentors. Before padding through the entrance, Birchpaw called out to Galestrike, trying to rekindle their old bond. "Hey, Galestrike! Maybe later we can share prey and hang!"

"Why would I want to hang with you? You're nothing but an undersized apprentice!" Galestrike growled back, his eyes narrowing. Birchpaw hurried through the entrance, trying to ignore the hurt that was tugging at his pelt. More than one cat stopped to stare at Galestrike, confused by his mood. The whole clan knew how close the four cats were.

Rosedrop whispered something to Icepelt, who nodded back. Vinepaw and Whitepaw exchanged glances, but didn't put down their moss to say anything. "What are you all looking at?" he said, glaring around at his clanmates.

"Whitepaw, we're going hunting when you're done, so move it!" Galestrike snapped. Whitepaw, terrified, nodded and disappeared inside the elders' den. Vinepaw dashed after his sister.

Out in the forest, Moonpaw was trying to comfort Birchpaw, but her own feelings of sadness were getting in the way. "He must have just had a bad night's sleep, that's all." She said but there wasn't any belief in her voice.

"He's been acting like this since the battle with RiverClan and that was almost two moons ago." Birchpaw said dejectedly.

"Guys, I know you're worried about Galestrike and I am to, but right now we need to focus. We were sent out to patrol the border with our mentors. We're not far off from being made warriors; we've been training for almost seven moons." Sootpaw said, seeing that none of his littermates were going to be the voice of reason. It was rare he needed to step up and get his siblings to focus. Often it was he who was scatterbrained.

"He's right." Moonpaw said, making a huge effort to try to push her feelings away. Birchpaw simply nodded and ran a few paces ahead, taking the lead like he always did. Wetfoot and Cloudfall checked for any WindClan scents while Graymist renewed the RiverClan markings. The siblings ran to help her.

"Greetings, Wetfoot, Cloudfall." Moonpaw looked up to see Pebblespots, Lionwing, Blackshadow and Bramblestripe talking to her clanmates.

"Greetings. I trust all is well in WindClan?" Wetfoot meowed smoothly. Cloudfall came to stand at his shoulder and Graymist joined him as well, at his other side.

"Yes, thank you. How is the prey running?" Bramblestripe asked politely.

"Fish don't run. But there are plenty of them to go around." Wetfoot meowed.

"Oh yes, of course. And that is good to hear." She broke off for a moment, having spotted Moonpaw, Sootpaw and Birchpaw. "Are those your apprentices?" Bramblestripe asked.

Cloudfall nodded and the introductions were made. Bramblestripe looked overjoyed when she heard that Silverstar was their mother. "Silverstar and I became great friends when a fire swept through their camp and the clan needed to stay with us for a while." Bramblestripe told the apprentices.

"That was the best story she told us when we were kits in the nursery!" Sootpaw meowed excitedly.

"No I like the one about the huge battle more!" Moonpaw argued.

The WindClan cats purred and exchanged looks of amusement. Birchpaw thought irritably that his siblings were behaving like kits and in front of another clan.

"How is Silverstar? I heard she got hurt badly after you fought ThunderClan for Sunningrocks." Bramblestipe asked before Sootpaw and Moonpaw could start arguing.

"She is fine, thank you. I'll tell her you were asking about her." Graymist said.

"Yes, please give her my regards." Bramblestripe dipped her head and flicked her tail to signal her clanmates. The WindClan cats disappeared among the heather in a matter a minutes. Their speed and grace took Moonpaw's breath away.

"StarClan light your path!" Wetfoot called after her.

"Sootpaw," Cloudfall said to the apprentices, "Will the check the border further downstream? And Moonpaw, you and Birchpaw can check it in that direction." She waved her tail in the other direction. The three apprentices nodded and scampered off.

Moonpaw and Birchpaw walked down the border, refreshing their scents and checking for any signs of intrusion.

Sootpaw was doing fine so far. Their scent markers were still strong and there weren't any weird smells. He was about to head back when he did in fact notice a strange smell. He sniffed harder, trying frantically to remember what that scent was. Too late he heard the barking and when he turned there was a huge dog running toward him.

Sootpaw and Moonpaw finished things up and headed back to where their mentors were waiting. Birchpaw was concerned when he saw Sootpaw was not there with them, but he figured his headstrong brother could handle himself.

The large dog barreled out of the bushes behind them. The gray smudged apprentice let out a yelp of pain as the dog caught up with him. He was shaken violently and thrown to the ground, landing with a dull thud.

Birchpaw and Moonpaw were quick to launch an attack. They sprang the dog, each on one side. Birchpaw dug his claws deep into the creature's coarse pelt and hung on as it ran in circles, trying to dislodge the cats. Moonpaw couldn't hang on and fell into a heap next to Sootpaw.

As soon as Sootpaw had been hurt, Wetfoot and Graymist had run to his side. Cloudfall had run back to camp to fetch help.

Moonpaw jumped right back up almost as soon as she hit the ground. Birchpaw clawed at the dog and the brown apprentice was thrown to the ground. The dog then tried to jump on the tom, but Moonpaw intercepted it before that.

Meanwhile, Wetfoot and Graymist were helping Sootpaw to his feet. When he had his footing, the two warriors began to guide the injured cat home.

Moonpaw and Birchpaw were wrestling with the dog now. Both cats were getting in some good blows and it didn't take long for the dog to run off, tail between its legs. Birchpaw gave chase, anger and concern propelling him forward till he ran faster than ever. He gave the weak creature some warning bites for good measure.

Moonpaw waited for her brother instead of heading back to camp. When he appeared, she ran up to him and anxiously checked him for wounds. "Are you ok? I thought it would turn on you."

"Not a chance! I would never let someone get away with hurting my brother." Birchpaw replied.

"Let's get back to him then." Despite their exhaustion, they kept up a good pace through the forest and into camp. Moonpaw saw Shadewhisper and Vinepaw sitting with Silverstar. Shadewhisper was talking to Silverstar, who nodded occasionally. Vinepaw didn't appear to be doing anything other than listen to her mentor and leader talk. When Vinepaw saw Birchpaw and Moonpaw, she padded up to them.

"How is he?" Moonpaw asked.

"He has a few scratches, but they will heal quickly, without problems. It's his leg we're worried about. It was dislocated, but Shadewhisper put it back. It'll need some time to strengthen."

"Can we see him?" Birchpaw asked.

Vinepaw hesitated. At last she meowed, "One at a time and not for long. He needs his rest."

"You go ahead. I want to talk to Silverstar." Moonpaw meowed to her brother. He nodded and followed Vinepaw into the medicine cat den. Moonpaw paced back and forth until her mother and Shadewhisper were finished talking. The medicine cat gave Moonpaw a nod as she passed, but didn't speak.

"Silverstar!" The apprentice called to her mother before she could leave.

"Yes?" The leader asked as she walked over to her daughter.

"I'm…I'm really worried for Sootpaw. What if he can't be a warrior? What kind of life will he have?" Moonpaw fretted.

"Hey, hey. Don't worry about something until there's a reason to. The medicine cats don't think that'll happen at all." She wrapped her tail around the apprentice and pulled her close. Moonpaw relished in the closeness of having her mother comfort her.

"It's just, he's only got one life." Moonpaw mewed.

"He'll be fine." Silverstar blinked at her daughter.

"How..how many lives have you lost?"

Silverstar looked around swiftly and lowered her voice before she answered. "Three, dear. One from the battle against those mountain cats. Another from Greencough, which I got after the battle and about 2 moons before you were born and then a life to the ThunderClan battle we just had."

Moonpaw nodded and stifled a yawn.

"Cloudfall and Wetfoot told me you and Burchpaw fought well. You two are ready for your warrior names anytime."

**A/N: Yay for Cliffhangers! If you want to suggest some names, that would be lovely. I'm excited to write their warrior ceremonies. I always love those kinds of things. Please please tell me what you think. I love reviews. And I thank you for reading and any review you might write. **


	8. What's in a Name?

Chapter 7

Moonpaw couldn't sit still. She paced back and forth in front of the apprentice den, one eye on her brother and one eye on the entrance to camp.

Birchpaw was rooted to the ground, feeling like his paws were made of stone. He'd turn to look at Moonpaw and then back to ferns that concealed their home.

A moon and a half had passed since the fight with the dog. Sootpaw had worked hard to strengthen his leg and all his stubbornness paid off. His leg muscles healed quicker than the medicine cats had expected. He was out in the forest now with Graymist, taking his warrior's assessment.

Galestrike was leading Sandclaw, Wetfoot, Thrushwing and Whitepaw out of camp for a hunting patrol. He briefly caught Birchpaw's eye but neither tom spoke. Things had gotten somewhat better the gray and white warrior and the littermates. He was no longer snapping at them unfairly, but still had a bit of a temper.

Duskflower padded over to the two apprentices. "How are you doing?" Her leaf green gaze filled with sympathy as she guessed what was on Birchpaw and Moonpaw's mind.

"It's taking a long time." Birchpaw fretted.

"There are so many things that could go wrong!" Moonpaw added. She had stopped pacing long enough to let the words out of her month and then continued her trek up and down the apprentice den.

Duskflower meowed, "He'll be fine. He's strong and determined; he won't let this injury stop him."

"Duskflower! Come lead a border patrol!" Reedpelt called.

The former loner gave Birchpaw and Moonpaw a lick before she scrambled over to the leader. Shadowfoot, Cloudfall, and Splashspot were waiting beside the deputy. After a few words, Duskflower flicked her tail and led them out of camp.

It was past Sunhigh before Sootpaw and Graymist returned to camp. Moonpaw and Birchpaw looked up from where they had been pretending to eat a carp with Galestrike. At once, the two cats hurled themselves at the smudgy tom.

"How'd it go?" Birchpaw demanded.

"Is your leg all right?" Moonpaw inquired worriedly.

Galestrike walked over as well but remained silent. Regret for their seemingly lost friendship washed over Sootpaw like a wave of cold water.

"I'm fine. I caught two carp and a trout."Sootpaw said in response to his sibling's questions.

Before anyone could say anything else, Silverstar yowled summons to the clan. "All cats old enough to swim gather here beneath Mossrock for a clan meeting!"

Oakstorm was the first to arrive, followed closely by Icepelt and Shinewhisker. Reedpelt bounded out of the warriors den and Silverstar jumped down from her vantage point to speak with him. Graymist walked over from the fresh kill pile with Wetfoot and Thrushwing on her heels. Whitepaw and Flarepaw emerged from the elders den, chattering excitedly. The elders followed more slowly and Shadewhisper and Vinepaw were the last to settle down.

When all was quiet, Silverstar spoke. "Moonpaw and Birchpaw earned their warrior name a moon and a half ago, chasing a dog off our land. Sootpaw earned his today after his wonderful display of hunting skills. Please step forward, you three." As her kits walked up to her, Silverstar and Oakstorm exchanged a proud glance.

"I Silverstar, leader of RiverClan call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on these three apprentices. They have trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code and I commend them to you as warriors." Never had a warrior ceremony meant so much to the RiverClan leader. Love for her kits pooled in her eyes and pride ruffled from her pelt.

"Birchpaw, Moonpaw and Sootpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and defend the clan, even at the cost of your life?"

"I do." Birchpaw's voice rang confidently through the camp, his conviction strong and excitement apparent.

"I do!" Sootpaw sounded relieved as though he worried his injury would have held him back.

"I do." More subdued, Moonpaw's gentle voice was still soft, but her determination to serve her clan was audible. She and her brothers took another step closer to their leader.

"Then with the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior names. Birchpaw from this moment on you shall be known as Birchpath. StarClan recognizes your cleverness and courage and we welcome you as a full warrior."

Silverstar rested her head on her son's shoulder and Birchpath licked her shoulder before stepping back into the crowd.

"Moonpaw from this day forward you will be known as Moonfeather. StarClan thanks you for your determination and stealth. And we welcome you as a full warrior." Silverstar blinked as her daughter took a step to receive her greeting. Then the new warrior licked her mother's shoulder and took her place beside Birchpath.

Silverstar repeated the ceremony for Sootpaw, giving him the name of Sootfall. "StarClan honors your strength and wisdom and we receive you as a full warrior." The clan cheered the new warriors as Silverstar placed her muzzle on Sootfall's head and he licked his mother's shoulder. The new warrior melted back into the crowd with his littermates. As Moonfeather glanced around her clanmates contently, she saw an unfamiliar mottled black and gray cat sitting at the back of the crowd. This strange cat wore a satisfied expression on her face as she looked at Sootfall and Birchpath. When she locked gazes with Moonfeather, the strange cat nodded.

Moonfeather opened her mouth to call a warning to the clan, but the second she did, the mottled she-cat disappeared. The new warrior cocked her head to one side and stared harder at the spot where the she-cat had been sitting. _I must be imaging things. _

She saw the cat again later that night, during her vigil. After the warrior ceremony, there had been a feast to honor the newest warriors. The entire clan shared prey and swapped stories, laughed and joked around. Sootfall hadn't experienced a more perfect day.

But there was something about this mottled black and gray cat that worried Birchpath. He had never seen her before, and she walked with a sense of dignity. None of his clanmates said anything about her, but Birchpath could see Sootfall and Moonfeather watching her too.

_Only we can see her._ That was what worried Sootfall the most. He longed to spend the night hunting in the river but he forced himself to sit quietly and observantly. The safety of the clan depended on him, Moonfeather and Birchpath.

Moonfeather yawn and her eyelids felt heavy. She struggled to remember how to open them with every blink she took.

When the Sun announced the dawning of a new day, Wetfoot came by to relieve them of guard duty. "Long night?" She asked

"Not too bad." Sootfall mewed

"I need to sleep." Birchpath said and Moonfeather nod in agreement.

Exhausted by their long night, the two cats curl up together in the warrior's den. Vision soon gives way to starry dreams.

While his littermates sleep, Sootfall ran out into the forest. He caught a blackbird by surprise and hooked his claws into its neck, effectively killing it. A mouse ran out from a bush and Sootfall quickly pounces on the prey. A bite to the spine kills the tiny creature.

The next morning the camp is bustling with activity. Whitepaw and Flarepaw are clearing the old bedding out of the elder's den while Reedpelt rounded up Shadowfoot, Duskflower, and Galestrike to go hunting. Shadewhisper leads Vinepaw out of camp, all while talking about some herb that cures bellyache. Moonfeather and Sootfall stretch and yawn before they go out to greet the morning. Birchpath places his prey on the pile and runs over to them.

"How was your sleep?" He asked.

"Pleasant." Moonfeather said.

"Short." Sootfall grumbled at the same time. Moonfeather and Birchpath laughed.

"Did you get your patrols for the day?" Shinewhisker asked as she padded to the camp entrance.

"No, but we want to go hunting." Moonfeather told her.

"Check in with Reedpelt. He might have something for you to do. If not, then you can go hunting." The senior warrior nodded to the newest warriors and left camp.

Reedpelt was talking with Silverstar in her den when the three cats found him. "Can we go hunting?" Sootfall asked.

"Actually, I need someone to check the ThunderClan border. Do you mind?"

"Of course not." Birchpath meowed. Dipping their heads in respect, the littermates filed out of camp and headed for the scent markers. Before they got there, the siblings run into Flarepaw and Whitepaw.

"Hey!" Flarepaw looked excited to see them. His amber eyes keep glancing at Moonfeather but she hardly took notice.

"Hi. Want some help?" Birchpath offered.

"No but thanks. I'm sure you all have more important things to do." Whitepaw said. She nudged Flarepaw, who still hadn't keep his eyes off Moonfeather. "C'mon, Galestrike will kill me if we're late!"

Sootfall laughed and Moonfeather laughed, but Birchpath didn't think it was quite so funny. Galestrike's ever changing mood showed that he probably would be furious. "We'd better keep moving." He said.

And then the three of them spot the cat.

"There you are! I've been waiting for you!" The cat purrs.

**A/N: Ok, so that's done. Thanks to BlueBlizzard1725 for helping me come up with some new ideas. I really needed them. I would also like to say since school will be starting on Thursday I won't be updating as frequently. I will be writing and hopefully posting another chapter tomorrow. And I plan to post at least two chapters during the weekends. During the school week, I have no time to write.**

**Thank you for reading. And a special thanks to everyone who reviews. You guys are the reason I write. **


	9. Building a Foundation

Chapter 8

"You again!" Birchpath growled. He took a step forward and crouched in a defensive position, ready to fend off any possible attacks this unwelcomed cat may instigate.

"You were at our warrior ceremony. No one else saw you. And now you say you have been waiting for us. You're very…" Sootfall's voice trailed away, unable to find the right word to describe this peculiar cat.

"You're very shifty. You're cunning and I don't want you anywhere near my siblings or me!" Birchpath yowled. He stepped forward again, eyes narrowing.

Moonfeather could see her brother's intention. Quickly she bounded up to his side and spoke quietly in his ear. "Calm down. Give her a chance to explain herself. Fighting won't answer any of our questions." Birchpath looked at her, still untrusting. "If she still seems dangerous, we can make her leave."

Birchpath seemed to understand the wisdom of his sister's words. Moonfeather understood Birchpath's hostility toward this cat stemmed from his love of her and Sootfall.

"Tell us who you are and why you keep appearing to only us." Sootfall meowed, looking very much on top of things.

"I am Graystorm." Moonfeather and Birchpath's eyes grew wide at the mention of an obvious warrior name. Sootfall waved his tail, forestalling any questions his siblings had.

"I was born into WindClan, but then I died from a fox attack," Graystorm continued. "Since then I, well my spirit I guess, have been wondering in all four territories. And then I saw you three." Graystorm gazed at Birchpath, whose scowl was becoming a permanent feature on his face. Moonfeather looked thoughtful, her expression curious.

"You three sparked an interest in me. You three alone could see me. I could tell you were special. And I could sense there was some…some kind of nervous energy or worry inside you." She swept her feather light tail, indicating Birchpath. The tom looked like he was about to protest, but Graystorm didn't allow him the chance. "And as I focused on you two," She now gestured to Sootfall and Moonfeather, "I could sense the same. But I knew you instigated it." She returned her gaze to Birchpath.

"What! How dare you! You come here and spy on us and then say I cause my littermates worry and make them nervous?! Have you ever considered you might be the cause of these emotions?" Moonfeather placed her tail on Birchpath's shoulders, but he shrugged her off. Sootfall tried to stop him, but Birchpath had made up his mind.

_This she-cat is up to no good! Can't Moonfeather and Sootfall see that?_ Birchpath leaped onto Graystorm. She was completely unprepared for the attack. The ginger-brown tom bowled her over, emitting a screech from the she-cat.

"Birchpath!" Sootfall looked horrified. But his brother didn't stop. He ran his claws down her ears.

"Please! I want to help you! Give me a chance!" Graystorm looked desperate. Sootfall felt ashamed he had done nothing to stop Birchpath before he got this far. Moonfeather pulled her brother off Graystorm and Sootfall helped the mottled black and gray cat to her paws.

Graystorm gave her ruffled pelt a few swift licks and then glanced apologetically at Birchpath. "I didn't mean to accuse you of anything. And you are right to be untrusting of me. I have made you uncomfortable. And I'm not saying you personally made your littermates nervous and worried. I'm saying I can tell you had an experience."

She looked at Birchpath in a different way. Fear lined her gaze now, instead of honest curiosity. "And you shared what happened with your siblings. And since you're all so close, of course they'll worry about your safety. That's what I meant." Her expression turned pleading; Sootfall could tell she hoped Birchpath understood.

He still seemed guarded. "And now I'm presenting myself to you because I want to help you." She meowed.

"With what?" Moonfeather asked.

"I know you've pushed it to the back of your minds. But even if you can't tell, it has you more nervous than any of you will admit." Graystorm said hesitantly.

"What has us nervous? Can't you tell?" Sootfall inquired.

"I'm not some freaky cat with magical powers. I just have a…a sixth sense, if you will. I can tell you are worried but I don't know why." Graystorm explained.

The three littermates exchanged glances. "Excuse us for a moment." Moonfeather said politely to Graystorm.

"Of course." She nodded.

The three siblings took a few steps away from Graystorm so they could talk without being overheard.

"We don't know anything about her. But she wants to help us. She's a warrior so she must understand what we might go through." Sootfall said.

"She was a WindClan warrior." Birchpath meowed in protest, but Moonfeather was glad he had lost some of the fire in his voice. _At least he's willing to listen now._

"Silverstar is friends with Bramblestripe. We're friends with Lightheart, Darkwhisker and Eaglewing." Sootfall pointed out. The three WindClan apprentices' warrior names had been announced at the previous Gathering. "Just cause she's from another clan doesn't automatically make her an enemy of ours." He added.

"If you two don't object then I won't. But I'm keeping a close eye on her. I don't want either of you harmed." Birchpath finally relented.

The three cats padded back to where Graystorm stood by the ThunderClan border. "We'd be glad of your help." Moonfeather told her.

Graystorm's eyes lit up and she purred. "Thank you!"

"We should be thanking you. You're the one helping us." Moonfeather said appreciatively.

"But you're giving me the chance. That means a lot to me." the mottled she-cat responded.

Birchpath said nothing, keeping his thoughts to himself. Once his littermates left, he would make it perfectly clear to this cat how he felt.

"When do we start?" Sootfall asked eagerly. Suddenly Birchpath understood why his brother and sister were quick to trust her and excited to spend time with her._ We would have turned her away from the beginning if Galestrike was still our friend. We miss him and the close bond we shared. They are lonely._

"Actually, it's too late to do anything right now. Reedpelt's expecting us back at camp with our border patrol report." Moonfeather pointed out.

"Tomorrow then. Good bye." Sootfall meowed. He and Moonfeather nodded to Graystorm and set their paws on the path for camp.

"Go ahead. I'll catch up." Birchpath said without turning around. His siblings soon disappeared from sight.

"Let's just make sure we understand each other. If you do anything to make me think you might hurt my brother or sister, I'll give you so many scars, no cat will recognize you. Got it?" Birchpath threatened.

Graystorm simply nodded and Birchpath felt better, more satisfied. He could keep his littermates safe. He _would_ keep his littermates safe.

When he returned to camp, the mood was definitely somber. There was a thick layer of concern covering the air, making it hard for him to breathe. Wetfoot, Shadowfoot and Sandclaw were talking to Silverstar. Their eyes were clouded with misery and fear. The apprentice weren't scuffling playfully as usual. Vinepaw poked her head out of the den for a second, to call out to Oakstorm and Shinewhisker. Galestrike came up to him.

"Reedpelt got greencough." He told Birchpath. For the first time, the golden brown tom noticed the leaves were beginning to fall off the trees and the wind was snappy and colder than it had been. Leaf-bare was coming, quicker than any cat had expected.

"That's awful! Is there anything we can do for him?" he asked.

"Pray to StarClan." Despite all the fierceness he had started showing, Galestrike looked dejected and lost. Birchpath knew the gray and white warrior and Shinewhisker would feel the pain of losing him the most if Reedpelt were to die.

Instinctively Birchpath placed his tail on Galestrike's shoulders, in attempt to comfort him. He was surpsied when Galestrike didn't brush him aside. _Maybe there some hope left. _Not only that, but he buried his muzzle in Birchpath's shoulder.

"He'll be ok. He's strong and he's a fighter." Birchpath meowed.

"Yeah. Yeah he is. Thanks." Galestrike replied.

The sun was beginning to dip down past the horizon. "C'mon. Exhausting yourself won't help any cat." Birchpath guided Galestrike to his nest in the warrior's den and the older tom settled himself into it. Moonfeather and Sootfall were already there, along with Duskflower, Thrushwing and Rosedrop.

Galestrike wouldn't sleep comfortably until he knew his father would be all right and Burchpath knew that. Still, he slipped out quietly and headed to medicine cat's den so Galestrike could be alone.

"Can I help?" he called.

"Oh! You startled me." Shadewhisper meowed. "Yes. Could you get some moss and wet it in the river? Greencough leaves cats with a terrible thirst."

"Ok. Back soon." As he set about completing the task, Birchpath thought about Reedpelt. He had been the deputy since before he was born. Reedpelt had never shirked his duties, never once wavered in his loyalty to the clan. _He'll be ok. He has to._

After he dropped the moss off and received Shadehwhisper's gratitude, he looked up at the stars. _Please don't take him, we need him_

**A/N: I really liked how this turned out. Birchpath is quickly becoming my favorite character. Next chapter will have some big surprises and I'm really looking forward to writing it. Remember that I have school starting again tomorrow so I will only be updating on the weekends. Thank you very much for reading. **


	10. You make me Crazier

**For the few of you who already saw that I uploaded Chapter 9, that was a mistake. It wasn't the full chapter. This is the chapter in it's entirety. **

Chapter 9

Four moons had passed since Reedpelt fell ill to Greencough. He had shaken off the worst of the illness, but his strength had yet to return. He could still hunt but it left him so exhausted Silverstar limited his patrols to one a day. Shadewhisper was still keeping a close eye on him, worried something was wrong. It was unusual for cats to have such a long, lingering effect from Greencough.

The sickness had spread to only a few cats. Wetfoot, Duskflower, Whitepaw had been the first cats to catch it. Wetfoot had regained his strength quickly and the sickness had been cured completely within a half moon. Duskflower and Whitepaw picked it up within a few sunrises of each other and were healthy after a moon.

Bumblenose, the elder, had caught it only a moon ago and joined StarClan that night, in his sleep. Willowshadow, Rockshade and Nighteye, his denmates, had mourned him deeply. And then Sootfall contracted it.

Moonfeather sighed as she remembered the frightening days that left her treasuring each of her brother's heartbeats.

Sootfall had been hunting with Reedpelt, Splashspot, and Shadowfoot. Prey was scare, so they had to stay out longer and still had caught only meager pickings for the clan. Sootfall was cold and tired, so he had been more vulnerable. Shadewhisper suspected he had picked it up from Reedpelt. She didn't tell the deputy, but she did make him take a break from patrols for a quarter moon. It would protect him as well as the rest of the clan.

Sootfall had resided in the medicine cat's den for two quarter moons. Moonfeather's throat tightened as she remembered how pitiful Sootfall looked; His fur was ungroomed, sticking up in untidy tuffs and littered with scraps of moss and reeds. His eyes were glazed with fever, and his nose was runny. His cough sounded like it could split him into two and he looked so weak. Birchpath had been Moonfeather's rock, her support system. He had been strong for her the entire time, even though it pained him just as much.

Galestrike, on the other paw, hadn't been helpful at all. That one gentle moment she saw him share with Birchpath had passed quickly and as soon as Reedpelt had been getting better, he turned back into his new nasty self.

"Moonfeather!" it was Silverstar. Quickly the she-cat shook her head, as if to rid it of all the bad thoughts, and bounded up to her mother. "Will you lead a hunting party please?" The leader asked. Since her deputy had gotten sick, the silver-she cat had been assigning and sorting out the patrols.

"Yes. Who shall I take with me?" The she cat asked.

"Anyone you'd like. I already sent out the other patrols." With an affectionate lick on her daughter's ear, Silverstar called out to Galestrike and Rosedrop. Moonfeather watched her go before padded to the warrior's den.

"Birchpath, Shadowfoot, Sandclaw, will you come hunting with me please?" She meowed, naming a few of the warriors in the den. The three cats get to their paws and the patrol left the den.

"Just when I thought I was going to get some rest!" Sandclaw teased, flicking her tail at Moonfeather.

On their way to the entrance, Moonfeather saw Galestrike and Rosedrop now talking with their apprentices. Whitepaw was waving her tail excitedly and her blue eyes sparkled excitedly. Her paws were scuffling the ground, as if she were too excited to sit still. Flarepaw was more composed, but his eyes still danced with anticipation.

Out in the forest, Moonfeather proposed the idea of splitting up. The forest was till recovering from the harsh Leaf-bare. "It would be easier. Less paws make less noise." She added.

"Fine with me. I'll be hunting downstream." Birchpath said.

"I'm going hunt land prey, gain more experience." Sandclaw meowed.

"I'll hunt by the Sunningrocks river." Shadowfoot mewed.

"All right. Meet back here when you're done." Moonfeather looked at each cat, seeing the agreement in their eyes before she dashed off to her desired hunting area. Birchpath followed Shadowfoot a ways, but then veered off on the well-worn hunting path. Sandclaw would be hunting in the opposite direction, among the willow trees.

Moonfeather decided she too would hunt mice and birds but she chose a different direction than the way Sandclaw would take. Suddenly she froze and listened harder. There! Instinctively, she bent down into her hunter's crouch, raising her tail just enough so it wouldn't drag and keeping her ears back. Carefully she set down each paw, closer and closer and then…pounce!

She mistimed the leap though and the bird unfolded its wings to escape. Determined, she jumped again, up this time, and snatched the creature out the sky. A bite to the spine killed the sparrow. "Wow nice job!" The voice startled her and her mouth gaped, causing the fresh-kill to fall to the ground.

"Flarepaw!" She exclaimed, surprised. "What are you doing?"

"My warrior's assessment. But I saw you stalking and thought I could pick up so tips from you. You're a brilliant hunter." Flarepaw said, unashamed.

"Oh, um. Thanks." Moonfeather's ears grew hot with embarrassment.

Flarepaw blinked at her, seeming to soak up as much as her limited praise as he could. The she-cat's embarrassment grew.

"Maybe you should get back to your assessment. Rosedrop won't be too pleased to find you wasting hunting time. It's not how a warrior acts." Moonfeather said to fill the awkward silence and to get away from Flarepaw's unblinking amber eyes that seem to stare into her soul.

"Right. As soon as I'm a warrior, we'll be able to hunt and patrol together." Before Moonfeather could say anything else, he said, "Goodbye!"

Moonfeather felt relief for the first time since Flarepaw spotted her. "Bye."

After that, Moonfeather threw her mind back into the hunt. She caught another bird and made a quick trip to the river and caught a trout. She recollected all of her prey and set off to meet up with the rest of her patrol.

Sandclaw and Shadowfoot were there already, waiting and discussing their days hunt. Moonfeather jogged over to them and placed her prey down. "How's the hunting?" She asked.

"The prey's coming back. I caught two mice." Sandclaw meowed.

"I got the biggest trout I've ever seen. Tried getting a carp but it got away. How about you?"

" Mouse and two birds." Moonfeather responded, nodding toward her contribution of fresh-kill. "Where's Birchpath?" She asked.

"Hasn't shown up yet." Sandclaw meowed, just as Moonfeather's brother padded up. He carried a rabbit in his jaws.

"Nice catch!" Shadowfoot purred. The ginger brown tom nodded his thanks so he didn't have to put his rabbit down. The rest of the cats gathered up their catches and Moonfeather led them home.

It was past Sunhigh when they returned to camp. Silvserstar was already sitting on Mossrock. Flarepaw and Whitepaw sat at the front of the crowd with their mentors.

Reedpelt sat at the deputy position at the foot of Mossrock. He was gazing proudly at his son. Whitepaw was Galestrike's first apprentice and she had really learned her warrior skills well. Moonfeather's stomach twisted as she looked at Reedpelt. _He'll be fine. _She reminded herself.

Sootfall was sitting with Vinepaw and Oakheart. Quickly Moonfeather and the rest of the patrol deposited their prey on the pile and sat down with their clanmates. Birchpath and his sister sat with Oakstorm, Sootfall and Vinepaw.

Silverstar waited another moment and then drew her breath to say, "Galestrike, are you satisfied Whitepaw has learned the skills she need to be a warrior? Does she know the warrior code?"

Galestrike stood up and addressed Silverstar evenly. "Yes. She will make a fine warrior."

The silver leader nodded to Galestrike and turned to Rosedrop. "Has Flarepaw learned his warrior skills? Does he understand the warrior code?"

"Yes he has and he does." Rosedrop meowed.

"Come forward you two." As they stepped from the crowd, Silverstar jumoed from Mossrock. Gazing down on the two young cats, she meowed, "I Silverstar, leader of RiverClan, call upon our warrior ancestors to look down upon these two apprentices. They had trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code and I commend them to you as warriors."

"Whitepaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and defend this clan, even with the cost of your life?" Silverstar asked.

Whitepaw's riveting blue eyes sparkled like the stars. Her voice was smooth like honey as she purred, "I do."

"And do you, Flarepaw, promise to uphold the warrior code and defend the clan, even at the cost of your own life?" Silverstar turned to the ginger tom.

"I do." His voice was tough and as he said his vows he turned to look at Moonfeather. Quickly she averted his glance, looking instead at Whitepaw.

"Then, with the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior names. Whitepaw from this day forward, you will be known as Whitesnow. Starclan honors your honesty and carefulness. We welcome you as a warrior." The leader placed her muzzle on Whitesnow's head and the new warrior responded by licking Silverstar's shoulder respectfully.

"Flarepaw from this moment on, you shall be known as Flarestep. StarClan thanks you for your kindness and energy. We welcome you as a full warrior." Silverstar stepped over to him and greeted him. He returned the gesture and stepped back beside his sister.

Far off, in a whole other world, a cat was hunting. This cat's pelt was black with ginger specks and he walked with quiet movements. His ears were back, his head down and his tail was slightly lifted. Using a tree for cover, he scanned his prey.

He waited another moment and sprung. With a bite to the throat, the creature died. It was a quick, clean kill, with hardly any blood dripping out of the bite marks. There hadn't been time for the creature to squeal with fear, which made it all the better. He dragged the large body off further into the woods. The trees become larger, the leaves bigger. Soon the light of the moon and the starts could not be seen. It was as dark as a raven and cold as a snowstorm.

"Hey Boss, how's this?" the black and ginger cat called. A brown and black tabby padded over to him.

"Yes, yes. An excellent first kill." He commented, looking at the prey. The other tom puffed out his chest with pride and glanced around the stinking forest, hoping some other cats could witness his accomplishment.

The dead cat's eyes gazed at nothing.

**A/N: Sorry guys. This was supposed to go up yesterday, but a certain someone who was helping me didn't respond until really late. And this morning, the wifi wasn't working. But here it is now. I really liked writing this, particularly the last part. And Flarepaw's so cute. ^_^**

**What can I do to get more reviews? I mean I really really appreciate everyone who reads but I've only been getting 2 or so reviews a chapter. Should I do like trivia? Ask you a question about this story or Silverkit's struggles and the first one who revoews with the correct answer gets to pick the names of two kits or something like that to go in the story?**

**On that note, if, when this story is done, you wanna read a cannon story about Hawkfrost and a ThunderClan she-cat, tell me so. That idea has been floating around in my head for a while. **


	11. What's Done is Done

Chapter 11

Nightheart glanced around the forest, searching for Graystorm. He needed to report to her how things were going with Galestrike and he was curious how Graystorm had been received by Birchpath, Moonfeather and Sootfall.

He spotted her by her nest. Bounded up to her, he asked, "How did it go?"

"Wonderful." She paused to give her paw a lick and then continued, "They trust me. And Galestrike?"

"He's strong and he has plenty of battle skills. There will be little else I can teach him before 'll turn out exactly as planned." Nightheart meowed.

"But he's still thinking about his three friends. Too much. They will distract him from what he needs to do. I keep trying to convince him to let them go, that they're holding him back. And I can see he is trying." He added reluctantly. Whether he wanted to or not, he had to tell Graysorm everything, even the bad stuff.

"Well, keep working on it with him. The message will get through. In the meantime, I need to do something that will help with the trust thing."

"I thought you said they trust you already?" Nightheart said, confused.

"Well Sootfall and Moonfeather do. And that's cause they miss Galestrike. But Birthpath thinks I'm out to get him." The she-cat explained.

"Awh. Hmm. Well what is the most important thing in the world to him?"

"His siblings. No question. He threatened to scar me so much no cat would recognize me if I did anything to them." Graystrom said. Suddenly, she stared off into the distance, her ears pricked.

Nightheart followed her gaze and perked his ears too, but couldn't see what she was concentrating on.

"I thought I heard something." She scanned the area again and parted her jaws to taste the air, but there was no scent or sight of any cat.

"I didn't. Now, about the trust issue." He waved his tail in an effort to regain her full attention.

"Yes?" She met his gaze and settled back down into the ferns.

"Just wait and watch for an opportunity to save his littermates from something. And then make sure he know it was you who helped them out." Nightheart told her.

"Yes, that is a good idea." She nodded to herself, as though already making plans.

"Don't forget about the most important thing that must be accomplished with Galestrike." She meowed.

"How could I?" he replied.

"Reedpelt, may the sun warm your back and the fish leap into your paws. May you find good hunting, swift running, and shelter where you sleep." Silverstar meowed, looking at her deputy.

Galestrike and Shinewhisker looked down at the ginger tom with grief in their eyes. As Silverstar finished speaking, the clan came forward to pay their respects for their lost deputy. Sootfall stepped up with his siblings.

"You were always strong, giving everything to the clan. We will be weaker without your guidance." Sootfall whispered. Then he silently cursed greencough for taking away Reedpelt's life.

"You will live on in our hearts." Moonfeather meowed.

"Thank you for being there, caring for us, when Silverstar was couldn't," Birchpath added.

Shadewhipser followed her sister into the leader's den. Sootfall guessed Shadewhisper would be consoling Silverstar just as much as she would be helping her pick the new deputy.

At that thought, he glanced around his clanmates. Which cat was right for the job? He couldn't helping wondering if Galestrike would be chosen. After all, Whitesnow was a warrior now. But Sootfall dismissed the thought quickly; the gray and white tom was far too young and inexperienced, especially compared to some of his other clanmates.

Birchpath padded up to Galestrike and murmured something to him, but Sootfall could see the anger, and sadness in his eyes and was not surprised when Birchpath came back and said that Galestrike had snapped at him.

"He's grieving. Give him time. He'll come around." Moonfeather said, but the bleakness in her eyes betrayed the fact she didn't believe in what she said.

Birchpath just shrugged. Sootfall knew how much it was hurting his brother, it was killing him too, even if neither of them would admit it. Admitting things would only make the three of them feel worse.

"We should probably go hunting. The clan needs fresh-kill." Birchpath changed the subject. The pile was low, with only a couple of fish on it. Sootfall and Moonfeather nodded.

Birchpath, as usual, led the way to the river. Choosing a sunny spot upstream, he fixed his eyes on the tumbling water.

Moonfeather was on the banks downstream and Sootfall was hunting land prey. From his spot, the ginger tom didn't see what happened. But when he heard a screech, he was on his paws, racing to see what was the matter.

Moonfeather was splashing around in the water. The river was deeper than usual, the current faster. Automatically, Birchpath poised himself to jump in after her.

Before any cat could do anything, Graystorm appeared out of nowhere. She hurled herself in the water before Birchpath could. Moonfeather's head dipped under the river and Birchpath let out a cry of distress. Unable to stand it, he too pounced in the river.

But Graystorm had taken a breath and dived underwater to grab Moonfeather. Gripping her scruff, the she-cat hauled Moonfeather out of the water and onto the banks.

Birchpath scrambled after them, nearly drowning himself. He leaped onto land and shook himself quickly before frantically nudging his sister.

"Moonfeather please! You have to be ok!" he kept repeating. "StarClan please! No, you can't do this!"

When Sootfall arrived on the scene, his eyes grew wide and his mouth gaped open. The squirrel that had been in his jaws fell and lay discarded in the dirt, forgotten. He ran up to the three cats.

"What happened? Moonfeather?!"

"I didn't see how, but she fell in the river." Birchpath said, looking at Sootfall for a moment before returning his gaze to Moonfeather.

"I helped her out." Graystorm added.

Sootfall nodded and crouched next to his brother, his eyes on his sister.

She let out a cough and blinked before opening her eyes completely.

Birchpath licked her ear and then stood and looked Graystorm in the eyes. "I was wrong about you." He declared.

After thanking Graystorm immensely, they carried Moonfeather home.

"Moonfeather!" Flarestep yowled. He dashed over to the three siblings from where they were just walking through the entrance to camp. His call alerted the rest of the clan, who looked up to see what was wrong. Silverstar emerged from her den with Shadewhisper. Sootfall glanced at Galestrike but he seemed as cold and uncaring as ever.

"What happened?" Flarestep demanded, bringing Sootfall out of his thoughts.

"Moonfeather?" Silverstar meowed. Oakstorm came up to stand next to his mate and gazed his daughter worriedly.

"She fell in the river." Sootfall addressed his parents, ignoring Flarestep entirely.

"Will you look at her, Shadewhisper?" Birchpath asked.

"Of course." She was already slipping through the crowd to examine the tired she-cat closer.

"She's fine. There's a scratch on her shoulder but it isn't serious. Vinepaw!" She called for apprentice.

"Thank StarClan." Oakstorm sighed.

The medicine cat apprentice poked her head out of the den. "Yeah?"

"Bring some cobwebs and marigold please." Shadewhisper requested. Vinepaw vanished again to gather the herbs.

"Oh StarClan. I just couldn't bare it if I lost her too." Silverstar whispered. Oakstrorm shifted closer to her. Sootfall could see memories swimming like minnows in both their eyes.

"She has to be ok!" Flarestep seemed unnecessarily frantic and Birchpath couldn't figure out why.

The crowd parted to let Vinepaw through and she dropped the cobwebs at her mentor's paws. As Shadewhisper applied them to Moonfeather's shoulder, Vinepaw made the marigold into a poultice. Then she applied it on top of the cobwebs.

"She needs to rest now. I want no cat to disturb her." This time, Sootfall picked her up/ He and the two medicine cats made their way back to the den.

Vinepaw quickly built a nest and Moonfeather thanked him.

"I'll finish making Nighteye's poultice now." The elder had gotten a toothache during the night. Vinepaw finished with the Alder bark and left. Sootfall thanked Shadewhisper again and went to find his brother. Moonfeather had already fallen asleep.

The Sun had just gone down, but the Moon was rising unusually fast. Birchpath wondered if that was an omen. Maybe StarClan wanted Silverstar to name the new deputy quickly.

"All cats old enough to swim, gather beneath Mossrock for a clan meeting." Silverstar called.

Most of the clan was already in the clearing. The elders came from their den, complaining about wet bedding. Shadewhisper came from the medicine cat's den to sit at the base of the rock and Vinepaw sat at the entrance to the den. He could hear the ceremony without being too far from Moonfeather in case his patient was to need something. Birchpath and Sootfall sat with Whitesnow, Duskflower and Cloudfall. Oakstorm sat up front, to give Silverstar his silent support.

"Clanmates, it is now time to name the new deputy. But first I wish to thank StarClan for Reedpelt's life. He was always ready to help me with anything and his intelligence was something I had come to rely on. He would have done anything for the good a clanmate." Silverstar paused, unwillingly to let her partner go.

She glanced at Oakstorm and seemed to draw strength from his gaze. The sadness was still there, but she sounded surer of herself. Again, Sootfall wondered who she would name to take Reedpelt's place.

"I have picked a cat who shares his intelligence and sacrifice. I say these words before the spirits of our ancestor and before Reedpelt's spirit so they may hear and approve my choice."

The whole clan waited with baited breath. At last she meowed, "Galestrike, I name you as RiverClan's new deputy."

Birchpath's eyes grew wide and his eyes pricked. Maybe he hadn't heard his mother correctly. But Galestrike was walking up to Mossrock. Stunned and sad as he was, he was able to pull himself together to say, "Thank you. In the name of my father's spirit, I vow to serve RiverClan as long as I have breath to fight."

The look in the new deputy's eyes chilled Sootfall to the bone. It was hard and cold, with no feelings.

"She only picked him cause Reedpelt was his father!" Cloudfall whispered. It surely seemed that way to Sootfall.

_Her grief is blinding her. Galestrike was not the right choice._ Sootfall couldn't explain the chill that went down his spine and made him tremble.

**A/N: Well that was fun! *inserts sarcastic tone* What do ya think? By the way, I don't have school Monday, Thursday or Friday so expect a lot more updates than usual. I may even finish it up. **

**Thanks for reading. Really. I love all my readers. Please tell me your thoughts. Maybe I don't get so many reviews cause it take me forever to update but I'm doing my best. **


	12. Rising Up

Chapter 12

Sootfall bounded out of the warriors den, yawning. He had been out longer than usual on his nightly hunt, and despite the longer hours, he had less prey than normal.

_I was too busy thinking about Galestrike. Oh my StarClan, so much has changed!_ The first few days he was in charge, Galestrike had fumbled over his words and felt awkward giving commands to the senior warriors. In just a half moon, the gray and white tom had become so comfortable with his new status, it was as natural as breathing. Sootfall noticed a subtle change in his old friend. He was more argumentative, using his position as deputy to make his clanmates do what he wanted.

Sootfall glanced around, but it seemed that his littermates had already been sent out on patrol; they weren't in the clearing, and when he heard the rustling of the elder's den, it was only Cloudfall, Thrushwing and Shadowfoot. Since Whitesnow and Flarestep had been made warriors, everyone had to take a turn in helping Vinepaw care for the elders.

"Let all cats old enough to swim gather here beneath Mossrock to hear my words." Silverstar had regained some of the composure she had lost when Reedpelt had passed, but sometimes Sootfall could see the melancholy in her eyes. Oakstorm, Shinewhisker, Rosedrop and Shadewhisper were spending more time with her too, for her comfort.

The smudgy tom noticed Graymist, Splashspot and Wetfoot pushing to the front of the crowd. Growing puzzled, he took a spot next to Shinewhisker and Icepelt. Shinewhisker flicked her tail welcomingly at him and Icepelt blinked. Oakstorm and Thrushwing hurried out of the warrior's den and Whitesnow emerged from the medicine cat's den with Shadewhisper and Vinepaw.

Sootfall looked at all his clanmates but didn't see Flarestep. He guessed the young warrior was out on patrol; his siblings were too, so it was possible he was patrolling with them.

"Splashspot, Graymist and Wetfoot have decided to move to the elder's den." Her announcement surprised Sootfall, who never noticed how frail they were. Now that he made the effort, he saw the three cat's whiskers were gray with age and there were white spots around their muzzles.

"It is your wish to give up the name and life of a warrior and join the elders?"

Speaking for the three of them, Wetfoot meowed, "It is."

Nodding, Silverstar said, "Then I call upon StarClan to give you three many moons of rest. Thank you all for your service." Sootfall and his clanmates cheered for them.

Nighteye, Webpelt, Rockshade and Willowshadow pushed forward to greet their new denmates.

"Silverstar, I have annoucment." Shadewhisper meowed, standing up. The RiverClan leader nodded to her medicine cat, inviting her to speak. Shadewhisper turned to face the rest of the clan. "Vinepaw has worked hard and learned more than I could have hoped to teach her. She is compassionate and wise and I have decided to give her full name to her at the next half moon."

The clan roared their approval. Shy as he was, Vinepaw ducked his head and wouldn't meet anyone's gaze. Sootfall purred.

"The last thing it is my privilege to share with you is Icepelt is expecting Shadowfoot's kits."

Congratulations for the two cats poured out from the clan. Sootfall could see Icepelt looking blissfully happy and Shadowfoot leaned down to give her a lick on her ears. Straining his ears, he could just make out her purr of happiness. _Good. The clan needs more warriors._

The tom recalled the story Silverstar had told him and his brother and sister about how Shadewhisper had met Shadowfoot and Nightfur in the mountains. Speaking of the medicine cat, Sootfall had never seen her so happy. Her apprentice was going to be made into a full medicine cat and one of her closest friends was going to be a father.

With the rest of the warriors, Sootfall padded up to Galestrike to receive his patrols for the day. "Sootfall, lead the ThunderClan border patrol. Take Nightfur, Rosedrop and Sandclaw." Then Galestrike turned to Whitesnow. "You'll be hunting with Icepelt and Duskflower. Shinewhisker will lead the patrol."

Sootfall and Shinewhisker led the patrols out of camp. Putting his paws on the trail that would take them to the border, the tom parted his jaws. There weren't any unusual scents. They remarked the stale scents and checked for any signs of invasion.

"All clear?" Sootfall asked.

"All good over here." Nightfur responded.

"No weird smells!" Rosedrop added from where she stood.

"Sandclaw?" Sootfall noticed her puzzled expression and padded up to her to get a whiff of the scent himself.

"ThunderClan scent, but I don't recognize who it is. Too weak for it to be more than one cat." Sootfall could smell she was right. And that scent seemed particularly familiar. _I've come across this recently. _The tom racked his brain for clues as to who it might be.

"Sootpaw!" Though it had been some time since he was addressed as such, Sootfall turned immediately at the mention of his old name. And that's when he remembered whose scent he smelled.

"Ratpaw?" Why was the ThunderClan apprentice leaving his scent in RiverClan land? The apprentice was running for the border.

"If he crosses it…" But Sandclaw didn't bother finishing her threat. Rosedrop and Nightfur bounded over to stand next to Sootfall.

"Sootpaw-"

"Actually, it's Sootfall now." The warrior told him. The ThunderClan cat nodded, but seemed too frantic too think about what getting his warrior name would mean to Sootfall.

"Flarepaw's been taken!" Ratpaw and his littermates had meet Flarestep and Whitesnow at previous Gatherings.

"What!" Sootfall was too shocked to worry about correcting Ratpaw about Flarestep's new name. Nightfur gasped and Sandclaw and Rosedrop's eyes grew wide with horror.

"What's your clan doing to him?" Sandclaw asked sharply.

"ThunderClan didn't take him! Twolegs did!" Ratpaw corrected her quickly.

"Take a deep breath. And then tell us the whole story." Rosedrop forced her voice to sound peaceful, to calm Ratpaw.

The brown specked tom took a gulp of air like Rosedrop said but it didn't seem to help.

"I was hunting when I heard the twoleg. It was blubbering through the forest, making as much noise as a badger. As soon as I saw it, I ducked under ferns. I didn't want it to see me. I don't think it did. And those noses they have might be big, but their sense of smell can't be worth much."

"Go on, please." Sootfall said.

Ratpaw nodded. "It jumped the stepping stones. As I watched it, that's when I noticed Flarepaw. I yowled to warn him, but it was too late. The Twoleg snatched him up and ran back there!" His tail waved wildly, pointing out the direction to the Twoleg place.

"I went back to camp and told Honeystar but she had no interest in helping. Said that RiverClan will look after their own clanmates as we will look after ours."

Sootfall felt a surge of anger on behalf of Honeystar's selfishness. Nightfur hissed, but Rosedrop laid her tail on the black warrior's shoulders and whispered in her ear.

"Sandclaw, lead Nightfur and Rosedrop home and tell Silverstar what happened." Sootfall meowed.

"What about you?" Rosedrop asked.

"I'm going with Ratpaw to get Flarestep." He announced with no hesitation, like the choice had been made long ago.

"Oh but won't…" Rosedrop's argument died away.

"Come on Rosedrop. Sootfall will be fine." Sandclaw flicked her tail and the other two she-cats followed her as she started back to camp. Obviously, the ginger warrior trusted Sootfall to take care of himself and to find Flarestep.

"I'm coming too. I feel bad for not helping Flarestep more. I need to do this." Ratpaw meowed.

Sootfall looked into his friends yellow eye and saw nothing but determination. Arguing would be a waste of time. Stifling a sigh, he said, "Come on then. We have to be quick." _Maybe it's a good thing to have a ThunderClan apprentice with me while I travel through their territory. _They didn't even finish crossing the stepping stones when he heard his sister's voice calling to him.

"What are you doing here?" he demanded.

Moonfeather panted for a moment before answering her brother's question. "I met your patrol on the way back to camp and they told me what happened. Birchpath was too tired to come with me. He didn't sleep well. And you can't rescue Flarestep on your own."

"I'm not alone." Sootfall nodded to Ratpaw, who straightened proudly.

Moonfeather resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "Two cats aren't enough to rescue him. I'm going and you won't step me." Much as she loved her brother, he still saw her as a kit. And that annoyed her.

"Sootfall we're wasting time. Let her come. She'll be helpful." Ratpaw broke in unexpectedly.

Soorfall sighed but nodded. As the three cats crossed the river, the Riverclan tom whispered, "You know I worry about you cause I love you and don't want anything to happen right?"

"Yeah. And I'm lucky to have brother like you and Birchpath. But you have to let me live my own life and make my own choices."

The smudgy tom nodded.

"Come on you two. What's the holdup?" Ratpaw called. He was on the shore of the river already.

"We're fine. We're coming." Moonfeather yowled back. She and her brother quickly hopped the last few stones and jumped up to stand next to Ratpaw on the shore.

"We need to disguise your scents. With any luck, none of my clanmates will spot us and find out you two were ever on our land." Ratpaw meowed.

"Right." Moonfeather mewoed and Sootfall just nodded. He was beginning to think about that this mission would entail and it worried him. Tresspassing through another clan's territory, sneaking around Twoleg place! It was a wonder he didn't race back to camp with his tail between his legs.

Ratpaw nosed them over to The ThunderClan scent marks and the RiverClan warriors rolled into it until their birth scent was well masked. Ratpaw watched with an amused expression but didn't speak until they were thoroughly covered in ThunderClan scent.

"Ready to go?" Ratpaw asked. Sootfall looked at Moonfeather, who gazed back at him with an unwavering yellow gaze.

"Yeah. Yeah we are." Conviction rang through Moonfeather's voice. Sootfall wished he could share her confidence.

A/N And with this chapter we quickly approach the climax of the story. I wrote this Thursday but did have Wifi till now so here you go. May or may not be posting another chapter today. We'll see.

Thanks to all my readers and all my reviewers. I love you guys. Now it's time for this new idea I have. Answer my trivia question in a review and you'll get to decide what Icepelt's kits look like! Yay, what fun!

Q: Who mentored Thrushwing?

Answer and winner will be revealed in the next chapter! (*Btw, Blueblizzard, I'm not sure it's entirely fair you take part. All I'm saying.)


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